The Mantle's Promise
by TallYapflip
Summary: A thousand years following the end of the Human-Covenant War, Humanity and the former Covenant species are unified under the Galactic Coalition, a single overarching government that adheres to the Mantle of Responsibility. During an expedition to the Andromeda galaxy, a Prowler-Class stealth frigate comes in contact with the Galactic Republic and by extension, the Separatists.
1. The Mantle's Promise

**The Mantle's Promise**

 _A Star Wars/Halo Crossover by TallYapflip_


	2. Chapter 1: Contact

**Chapter 1: Contact  
**

Captain Joshua Haywood sat at the helm of his Prowler-Class Stealth Frigate, one of the more advanced models fielded by the Galactic Coalition. The newer class was fielded mostly by GCOMI, or the Galactic Coalition Office of Military Intelligence. The successor to ONI made constant use of Forerunner-inspired ship designs, even going so far as to produce Forerunner Alloy and Hard-Light weapons to mount on their new stealth frigates almost 600 years ago. Ever since the Milky Way experienced the Unification, Humanity has made incredible strides in both military and civilian technology. Haywood thrummed his fingers along the side of his chair as he waited for the trip to the Andromeda galaxy to finally come to an end. He always hated sitting at the helm of his ship with nothing to look at other than the empty void of Slipspace.

Haywood found himself, just for a moment, missing the older Prowler designs from the Human-Covenant War. Those older vessels had a constant thrumming of the Slipspace core and deuterium reactors to keep the crew company on extended missions. The newer Prowler Mk. VI was eerily silent, almost oppressively so.

Haywood had his crew, which was mostly Human and Sangheili, but the OMI spooks were about as personable as the Sangheili, and that wasn't saying much. Everyone on the ship, with the exceptions of the four-woman SPARTAN V detachment that was granted to him for "extenuating circumstances" and the ship's resident Artificial Intelligence, Aphrodite, were all-business. He glanced over to his First Officer, Aphrodite, who sat just below him in a slightly lower chair. Unlike the Artificial Intelligences from the Human-Covenant War and the Post-War Period, Aphrodite was a fully sentient AI with a synthetic body. Her body was that of a human woman in her early twenties with dark brown hair cropped at the shoulders. Her eyes seemed to glow with an iridescent blue light, reflecting off of her light makeup. She wore the standard gray GCOMI uniform with the insignia for "Commander" on her shoulder. Aphrodite was about the only other person on this ship who wasn't an emotionless freak, which led to a rather close relationship between the Captain of the Prowler and his First Officer.

"Something wrong, Captain?" Aphrodite asked, turning with machine-like precision to look up to Haywood. "We'll be in the 'Southern' arm of Andromeda in a few minutes, I thought you'd be happy to get out of Slipspace."

Haywood put on a false smile for the Australian-accented AI. "I am, it's just a lot to take in… we'll be the first in Andromeda."

"You didn't answer my question." Aphrodite responded. She could always see right through Haywood's little white-lies.

Haywood sighed "I dunno… It's just unnerving, being the only ones in this Galaxy."

"There's an Infinity-Class battlegroup behind us. We only have to be alone for a few hours, a day at most."

"I know… it's just an irrational thing." Haywood scoffed. "I'm a GC Captain that hates Slipspace travel, Jesus."

Aphrodite smiled. "We'll be fine, this ship's been through a lot."

Haywood nodded, resting back in his chair. His attention was immediately grabbed by the Sangheili sitting at the navigational terminal. "Captain, we are leaving Slipspace." Haywood's attention immediately turned to the "window", which was actually just a very lifelike holographic projection from the ship's forward sensors. Their exit location was a rather uninteresting system with a single orange-yellow star surrounded by five planets. One of these planets lit up the ship's sensor array as "Life-Sustaining, suitable for colonization". The preliminary scans showed the planet to be slightly higher-gravity than Earth, just weaker than Sangheilios. It was a planet with 96 percent land and a single small sea located at the equator. The rest of the planets were either barren or gas giants. "Captain… I believe the sensors have picked up a ship."

"A ship? Where?"

"It is a small Corvette-weight vessel that is currently on a collision course with the resident garden world. The ship will impact in about eighty seconds."

"Life signs?"

"Unknown, we are too far out to get accurate internal scans. Based on size, it would most likely hold roughly twenty humans at maximum capacity."

"Engage stealth systems, tail that ship. Bring the ship to yellow-alert status."

"Aye, sir." The entire bridge burst into activity as the Sangheili and Human ensigns worked side by side to fall in behind the falling ship. As they grew closer, Haywood could clearly make out the ship's design. It was a smaller vessel with three large engines in the rear. It was mostly white and red with a pair of defensive ventral and belly-mounted cannons. Haywood saw the Hard-Light scanning array burst forth from the Prowler, inspecting every little detail of the vessel before them. "Captain…" The same Sangheili said. "I doubt you will believe me, but there are humans aboard that vessel."

'What?" Haywood asked, walking over to the sensor station. "That's impossible." He said, scanning over the data. On board the vessel were six humans, all of them male. Five of them had identical genetic codes, indicating some sort of cloning procedure. There were also two alien life forms on board, both of them humanoid with a female frame. The two aliens lacked hair, with their heads sporting long "head-tails" in place of fiber hairs. Scans showed the head tails to actually contain neural pathways, indicating that these aliens had their brains spread throughout the head tails, as opposed to having a single, centralized brain. "Amazing." Haywood said, scanning the data. "What's the likelihood of the crew's survival."

"Ninety percent, Captain. The ship is coming in at a rather shallow angle. The crew should have no trouble surviving."

"Good, this is now a first-contact scenario. Standard procedures apply. Keep the ship cloaked and prep SPARTAN Team Gamma for drop."

"Sir?"

"I want to ensure that these people live, there's a lot to learn here. Bring the Prowler in behind their ship and drop SOEIV pods, make it look like debris. Plot the drop trajectory for a two kilometer berth."

"Right away."

As the Ensign returned to his station, Haywood turned to Aphrodite, finding her expression to be somewhat excited. "Aphrodite, you're going down with Gamma."

"Why, sir?"

"You're one of the most advanced AIs within the GC. If anyone can create a translation matrix to help us communicate with them, you can. While you're down there, divert some of your processes to tapping into their ship's internal network, find some of their language and begin translations."

"Already doing so. I'll go join the SPARTANs."

XXXXX

SPARTAN K-792, Kathryn jogged into the SOEIV drop bay, finding her team already assembled and climbing into their pods. She found that her team of three other SPARTAN Super Soldiers was joined by Aphrodite, the rather snarky AI that she had become rather decent friends with.

Kathryn climbed into her SOEIV pod that sat across the bay from her commander's pod. Her team, SPARTAN Team Gamma, was rather famous within the GC and OMI. Their team was one of the few groups of human super soldiers that were directly assigned to work under the GC's intelligence divisions, giving them a rather wide spectrum of operations from assassinations to VIP protection. Kathryn herself was rather new to the team, stepping into the shoes of a recently-deceased SPARTAN by the name of Madison. Gamma was also a team comprised entirely of women, which was highly rare even for the SPARTAN program's thousands of operatives.

As her pod's hatch came down and gave the familiar sealing "hiss", all of her team's biometric data popped up on a small screen on the inside of her pod. On the top was her data, showing a slightly elevated heart rate. Below hers was her CO's, SPARTAN A-122, Alice. Below that was SPARTAN J-133, Jane. And finally came SPARTAN W-231, Willow. Aphrodite's pod quickly linked with the others, her diagnostic data showing up as an error due to her being a synthetic.

Kathryn heard the sound of the ship's "Dumb AI" come in through her neural lance, causing her to jump slightly as the noise was fed directly into her brain's auditory neurons. "Prepare for drop in three… two… one… Mission away." The AI's words were accented by the familiar lurch of a SOEIV pod's screaming descent towards a planet's surface. Despite all of Kathryn's training, the gut-wrenching feeling of a terminal velocity fall from orbit still caused a fair bit of nausea.

As the pods cleared the Prowler's bay, Kathryn tuned out the familiar pre-mission banter between the other SPARTANs and looked out of her pod's viewport. She saw a strange looking vessel a few kilometers away, the occasional bit of debris falling off and striking against her pod's Hard Light shields, causing them to flare up momentarily. As the ship and pods entered the planet's atmosphere, the ship's heat protective plating began to give way from the massive amount of friction, sending the metallic plates sailing past the falling pods. Kathryn stole a quick glance at the surface of the planet as she fell, seeing a planet comprised almost entirely of widespread plains dotted by massive forests, the trees easily reaching a few hundred meters in height.

The falling ship was the first to impact, kicking up a large cloud of dust and smoke as it skidded a few hundred meters before coming to a lurching stop. Just as the ship came to a stop, the five drop pods slammed into the ground a few hundred meters away from the ship's initial point of impact, Kathryn's stomach nearly doing a backflip in response to the high velocity impact. After a few moments, Kathryn pressed the three release keys on the inside of her pod, causing the pod door to slide open with the hissing of hydraulic pistons.

She climbed out of her pod, her knees trembling slightly from the heavy impact. The air on the planet was crisp and natural, unlike the putridly sterilized air on board the Prowler. Kathryn always hated starship air; it was too unnatural for her. Kathryn drew in a deep breath as she activated her neural lance's main function, calling her armor from the depths of Slipspace. Tiny Slipspace rifts opened for the slightest fraction of a second, allowing the light Forerunner Alloy plates to slip through, all of them perfectly assembling each other over Kathryn's skin-tight black bodysuit. She intentionally gave her lance the command to leave her helmet's plates in Slipspace, preferring to savor the first clean air in almost a week.

Kathryn saw the rest of her drop group doing the same, most of them also choosing to keep their helmets in the void. Alice called out to Kathryn through the neural lance network. "Kat, we're moving."

"Copy." Kathryn responded, falling into place behind her squad and the AI. As she walked, Kathryn was amazed at the flimsy nature of this ship, with dozens of heat-resistant armored plates scattered around the area. As they neared the main wreck, the grass grew taller and taller, eventually stopping just below Kathryn's chest, a rather impressive feat since she stood at nearly seven feet tall.

Alice motioned with her hand as they came into view of the main wreckage, her neural lance relaying her order to kneel down. Kathryn knelt down, peering through the tall grass. She saw a group of five humans in pure white armor with black accent pieces. These soldiers carried strange black weapons across their backs as well. She also saw a pair of aliens carrying another human man. These aliens both had a set of head-tails in place of hair follicles. One of the aliens had turquoise skin with two head tails while the shorter, obviously younger one had orange skin with symmetrical white markings on her face. The orange-skinned one had three head tails, one running down her neck and resting at the base of her neck.

The human man being carried by the two aliens appeared to be peppered with lacerations and burns across his face, arms, and legs. He wore a strange set of armored robes that were tattered and burned in many places. Kathryn's Neural Lance crackled in the back of her mind as Alice linked Captain Haywood into their communication channels. "Captain, are you seeing this?"

"Affirmative, what's the current percentage of the Translation Matrix?"

"Approximately ten minutes and I should have enough of their language decoded in order to create a rudimentary program for our universal translators." Aphrodite responded.

"Excellent. Keep your heads low for now and keep me posted. I'll relay this information to FLEETCOM Alpha." Haywood cut the communication from his end, returning their neural lance network to its original state.

Fireteam Gamma watched as these clones and the aliens created a rudimentary shelter for the wounded human, using pieces of the ship's plating to block out the setting sun's rays. Kathryn, thanks to her augmented hearing, could make out a faint conversation in a completely alien language. She could easily tell that the younger alien was frustrated, while the older one managed to remain calm.

As she watched the exchange, a loud growl sounded out from somewhere nearby, causing the clone troopers to scan the area with their weapons and helmet-mounted flashlights. After a few moments of rather frantic conversation in the alien tongue, four of the clones and the two alien women broke off from the rudimentary camp site, heading south. Only one of the clones was left behind to guard the wounded human. This clone had blue markings on his armor with a black pauldron around his shoulder, obviously a symbol of some kind of command.

The SPARTANs remained in the grass well past sunset, watching the clone trooper inspect his weapon a few times, check on the wounded human, and pace around the camp more than a few times. Kathryn was surprised to find the human attempt to walk out of the makeshift shelter, falling onto his stomach after a few moments. The clone rushed over to the fallen man. "General!" He shouted, dropping to a knee next to him. Their translation software was working, a good sign for contact procedures.

Kathryn watched the General point to the bushes behind the Clone, causing him to turn around quickly. The clone, despite his armor's apparent weight, was pounced on by a strange four-legged beaked predator that took one of the Clone's arms in its beak and threw him to the ground, quickly pinning both of the clone's arms under its powerful feet. Alice, without a moment's hesitation, willed her handheld Hard-Light Bolter out of Slipspace and fired at the creature, sending a bolt of Hard Light through its head, killing it instantly.

The animal slumped over to the side, allowing the clone to stand up and draw his own handgun, pointing it in the direction of the SPARTANs and the AI. "Who's out there?" The Clone demanded.

Alice made a motion to her team to stand upright as she tossed her weapon back into Slipspace, hoping to avoid a confrontation. As the SPARTANs and the AI stood upright, the clone appeared to tense on his grip. "Come out here!" The clone shouted. "Come towards the fire, but keep your hands at your sides." The clone was obviously surprised at both the number of people watching him and the fact that there were four human women that towered over him.

The SPARTANs stepped out of the brush and into the clearing with no quarrel, keeping their hands at their sides. "We're not here to hurt you." Alice said, raising her hands in a defensive stance. "We saw your ship was crashing on this planet and followed your trajectory."

"You have a ship in orbit?" The clone asked, lowering the pistol to his side. "Why aren't you helping us?"

"It's a long story, but this is technically a first-contact scenario."

"What do you mean? Are you natives to this planet."

"No… we're not even from this galaxy."

"What? That's impossible. How could human life evolve in two places at once?"

"Beyond me, but that's partially what piqued our interest."

"Where are you from?"

"We're from a galaxy approximately two point five million light years away, called the Milky Way. We're soldiers for a government entity we call the Galactic Coalition." Alice explained. "Our official designation is SPARTAN, or a genetically modified soldier. I'm SPARTAN Alice, and this would be my team. This is SPARTAN Willow, SPARTAN Jane, and SPARTAN Kathryn." Alice pointed to each of the helmetless SPARTANs as she said each of their names. "And the one in the back is Aphrodite, our ship's resident artificial intelligence."

"Well… I'm Captain Rex." The clone responded. "Nice to meet you, I suppose."

"Where did the rest of your crew go?"

"They headed off South, hoping to find some of the locals to help our General here. He's in bad shape."

Alice nodded. "Aphrodite, relay this information to Captain Haywood in orbit and keep him updated."

"Of course." Aphrodite responded.

"We'll stay here with you until the others get back; we'd like to meet them,"

Rex sat around the makeshift shelter with the group of abnormally tall women, surprised at their rather friendly and pleasant nature as they explained their situation and listened to his. Both Rex and the SPARTANs shared information regarding their government's current situations, Aphrodite taking special interest in the Clone Wars situation. Kathryn found the Clone's description of this "Galactic Republic" to be highly interesting, especially their capital world of Coruscant. Apparently, Coruscant was a single massive city that spanned the entire planet.

The SPARTANs and Android remained with the Clone all throughout the relatively short nighttime, only about four hours in total. As Kathryn stood up, she saw one of the female aliens running back, missing the four of the five clones that had left with them, along with the taller alien. In place of the clones was a small lemur-like creature that stood at around two feet in height with grey and black fur. The two aliens and the clone came to a stop, the female alien surprised to see Rex joined by five different humans. "Rex, did the Republic send a rescue team?" The shorter orange-skinned alien asked.

"Not exactly." Rex began. "They're here to help us, but they aren't from the Republic. Hell, they're not even from our Galaxy."

"How is that possible?" The tall, girl asked, inspecting the SPARTANs. "They look human."

"That's because we are." Alice answered, stepping over. "We're Humans from a nearby Galaxy called the Milky Way, about two point five million light years away."

"Three million light years?" The younger alien asked, amazed. "How long have you been travelling?"

Alice shrugged. "About two weeks."

"That doesn't seem possible, how can you cross that distance in two weeks?" The Clone asked.

"As far as we can tell, we use a completely different method of faster-than-light travel than you do. Ours is based mostly on a method known as Slipspace travel, which involves opening a rift in space that allows us to pass into a parallel pocket dimension where the relation between distance and time is much shorter."

"That sounds incredible…" The short alien said. "But who are you?"

"We're a group of elite soldiers under the command of our government, the Galactic Coalition. We're called SPARTAN Vs. I'm Commander Alice, this is my team, SPARTAN Fireteam Gamma. The other SPARTANs here are Willow, Jane, and Kathryn. The other one over there is an Android, or synthetic humanoid. Her name is Aphrodite."

"I am Commander Ahsoka Tano, and this is Commander Bly under the command of General Secura." The alien explained. "I'm with the Jedi order based on Coruscant."

"Commander?" Alice asked. "You look no older than sixteen."

"And you would be right." Ahsoka responded. "I'm a Padawan Learner, attached to the Jedi currently under the metal sheets there." She pointed to the human male that Rex identified as General Anakin Skywalker, another member of the force-wielding Jedi Order. The SPARTANs and Android were completely shocked by the innate ability to manipulate matter via a biological chance known as force sensitivity. The GC had something similar, Slipspace Manipulation, but that was done through technological means, not biological. "This is a healer from the native populace." Ahsoka explained, gesturing to the short lemur creature that made its way over to Anakin. "Do you have a ship nearby?"

"We do." Alice answered. "But sadly, our class of vessel is highly classified and unable to land on planets. It's a forward scout vessel designed for orbital support and logistics data." Alice knew that she was lying about the true purpose of the Prowler in orbit, but she wanted to keep these aliens away from the GC's relatively advanced technology until she could trust them. "There's a fleet of support and exploratory vessels about a day behind us, they should be able to help out if the Republic can't."

As the Healer made his way over to Anakin, he slowly came to and attempted to stand upright, holding himself up on the makeshift shelter. "Master!" Ahsoka shouted, making her way over. "This is a healer, he can make you better again!"

"Thanks Snips…" Anakin said, looking over to the five women standing behind her, wearing black jumpsuits. "Who's that?"

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you." Ahsoka said as the healer began fashioning a makeshift stretcher to carry Anakin on. "They're from another galaxy and they want to help us."

"Another galaxy? Not quite the strangest thing I've ever seen."

"I'm not even going to ask." Ahsoka said as the SPARTANs and Android made their way over.

"Are we bringing him back to the local population?" Alice asked. "If need be, Kathryn here is our medical support woman, so she can help when we get there."

"Much appreciated." Ahsoka said, nodding to the tall, redheaded SPARTAN.

Kathryn walked over and helped the blue-accented Captain Rex heft the stretcher carrying Anakin up. The group began making their way towards the small village that the local lemur-esque population called home. After two and a half hours of walking, a small village consisting of what appeared to be a collection of large tree pods came into view. A group of the lemurs came out to watch the SPARTAN and Clone carry Anakin in on a stretcher, the rest of the group following close behind. Ahsoka remained relatively close to Anakin and by extension, Kathryn. Throughout the entire walk, Ahsoka had bombarded Kathryn with questions about her government, society, lack of force-sensitivity, military, and home. Kathryn happily answered all of Ahsoka's questions, even returning a few of her own questions.

Kathryn and Rex laid Anakin down inside a central pod and allowed the healer to begin his work, taking their leave along with Ahsoka. The group of SPARTANs introduced themselves to the local population and Secura, electing to keep their extra-galactic nature a secret from the locals for now. After meeting with the locals, Kathryn and her team gathered under a shady tree along with the Jedi and remaining two clones for some rest, giving the healer time to work.


	3. Chapter 2: Droids

**Chapter 2: Droids**

An entire day had passed, with the SPARTANs, Jedi, and Clones all getting four hours of sleep before the binary suns came up. Kathryn groaned in discontent at the planet's short day-night cycle as she sat up from her makeshift bedding inside one of the large pods. She stood up, stretching her back and arms, and stepped outside. She found Commander Bly helping the local Lermin population lift baskets of fruit on top of each other, with Rex sitting on a nearby ridge. Rex pulled out what appeared to be binoculars and looked up, his expression turning rather grim very quickly.

Kathryn looked up herself, finding there to be what appeared to be a landing craft of some kind, but it dwarfed the standard Pelican dropship that the GC used. It looked as if it could carry two full battalions of soldiers and enough ammo to keep them fighting for days. Rex ran over to Kathryn, pulling her attention away from the craft. "SPARTAN, we need to find the others."

"What's wrong?"

"That's a Separatist ship." Rex led the way through the small village, stepping into the healer's hut with Kathryn a step behind him. "Generals." He said, looking to Anakin and Secura, who were also joined by Alice and Ahsoka. "We got company, and not the friendly kind."

"Separatists?" The Lermin healer asked. "But this is neutral space!"

"It won't be neutral for long if the Separatists have their way." Anakin responded. Just as he finished speaking, the rest of Gamma, including Aphrodite, burst through the door.

"Captain, we came as fast as we could." Willow said, looking at Alice. "What's our next move?"

"You need to leave." The Lermin leader said, stepping past the SPARTANs. "You've brought this menace with you."

"Father, you can't blame them." The healer said.

"He's right." Alice said. "As far as we know, these Separatists shouldn't even know that the Jedi are here."

"That doesn't matter; your presence here puts all of us in danger." The elder responded. "I'm still going to ask you to leave."

"But you'll need our help to fight them off." Ahsoka retorted.

"We would sooner die than kill another." The elder responded, Kathryn picking up the slightest hint of elitism in his voice.

"Ahsoka… if the Lermin want to stay neutral, we can't drag them into this war." Anakin said, sitting upright.

"See to it that they leave." The elder addressed his son. "Now I need to see what our new visitors want."

The healer rushed outside and grabbed a few handfuls of fruit, handing them over to Ahsoka and the Clones. Ahsoka packed the fruit away into her carry pack as Rex and Bly helped Anakin up. The group quickly made their way outside, seeing a company of bipedal robots wielding blaster rifles headed by a rather fat, green, amphibian alien that wore an ornate robe in dark blue. She saw the fat alien shove the Lermin leader aside as the robots began opening fire on the village, taking no particular aim. The droids kicked baskets over, shot through homes, and shoved Lermin aside. "What the hell are they shooting for?" Kathryn asked, ducking back into cover, keeping out of sight.

"Violence is all these droids are programmed for." Ahsoka responded.

"She's not wrong." Aphrodite responded. "Their 'A.I.' matrix is incredibly low-grade. They're barely even capable of independent thought."

"How does she know that?" Ahsoka asked.

"She's an Android, long story." Kathryn responded, following Rex and Bly into the tall grass surrounding the village.

After around twenty minutes of walking, everyone took a rest inside a small clearing protected by an outcropping of rocks, Bly and Rex setting Anakin down on the ground to rest. "You know…" Rex began. "I can't figure these villagers not wanting to fight! No sense of pride I guess."

"I'd call it a lack of courage." Ahsoka said, sitting against a rock.

"It takes courage to stick to your beliefs." Secura responded. "They're pacifist, and that's their decision."

"We need a ship that can actually be on the ground." Anakin said, changing the subject. "And I'm pretty sure that the only one around her belongs to the Separatists."

"Sir… are you talking about stealing from one of the clankers? Count me in!" Rex said.

"Well, first we just need to find them." Ahsoka said.

Kathryn heard a soft whirring coming from the bush. She quickly drew her Hard Light Bolt Pistol from Slipspace and fired a single shot. The bolt impacted on a strangely shaped drone with numerous cameras and sensor equipment. "I'm pretty sure we just did." Kathryn said, sealing the weapon back in Slipspace.

"Probe droids?" Anakin asked, amazed at the speed which the SPARTAN obliterated the droid.

"Did it have enough time to get information back to its commander?" Willow asked, inspecting the wreck.

"I don't know… it's possible." Anakin responded.

"Well… how are we going to find that shuttle?" Anakin asked, inspecting the dead probe droid.

"Simple." Alice said, pressing a hand to her ear. "Captain Haywood, can you run a surface scan of all topography within fifty kilometers of our location, specify energy signatures." Within an instant, a topographical map appeared in Alice's neural lance, which she quickly transmitted to the Hard-Light emitter on the palm of her jumpsuit. "Their dropship is here, about two kilometers away from our current location." Alice focused in on the map, the Separatist dropship coming into clear view. "Their defensive line looks tight, with hundreds of those droid things, and at least two dozen armored vehicles. One of them looks like a self-propelled artillery piece. Let's get moving, it's not far from here."

Alice began leading the way through the tall grass, coming into view of another large tree which stretched at least three hundred meters into the air. The SPARTANs were rather surprised to see the agility that the Jedi possessed, Secura and Ahsoka climbing the tree rather quickly with the assistance of the Force. Anakin lagged behind slightly due to his injuries. The Clones, having no talents in the Force, fired cables from an under-barrel attachment on their DC-17 Blaster Rifles in order to climb the tree. The SPARTANs simply called their armor into real space, using that in conjunction with their numerous augments to climb the thick tree.

Ahsoka, Secura, the Clones, and the SPARTANs all knelt down on the thick branch of the tree, overlooking an open field. At the end of the field, just at the border of the tall grass, was a large Separatist encampment with at least three hundred droids, ten tanks, a Droid Dropship, and a dozen Spider Droids. Ahsoka, Secura, and Rex all took turns looking through their only pair of binoculars while the SPARTAN's enhanced vision allowed them to see with relative clarity.

Anakin finally managed his way up the tree, causing everyone to look back over their shoulders. "I hope you're feeling better, Master." Ahsoka said. "Because look what we found."

Anakin chuckled, taking the offered binoculars. "I'm getting stronger all the time, Snips." Anakin looked through the binoculars, seeing the massive compound constructed around the dropship. "But… I'm not sure that I'm ready for that one." Anakin looked past the dropship, spotting a small CIS shuttle being unloaded by B1 Droids. "That shuttle's our ticket off this rock."

"It's not going to be easy, sir." Rex said. "Their security line looks almost flawless."

"Movement." Alice said. "Four tanks are leaving the compound, one of them has that artillery piece."

Anakin looked back through the binoculars, spotting both the strange artillery tank and the fat Nemoidian sitting atop it. "Looks like the Separatists have a new toy."

The group watched for a few more moments, seeing the Nemoidian give some kind of speech to the lifeless droids before him. The droids, for some reason or another, decided to end his speech with a bit of a celebratory dance. This dance consisted mostly of the droids bobbing their bodies up and down, drawing a few audible laughs from Aphrodite as she watched. A pair of B1 Battle Droids was sent out towards the ridge, just between the tree and the compound. Alice looked back to Anakin, who simply shrugged.

The group watched as the artillery tank lined up a firing solution, and then fired a strangely shaped capsule at the pair of droids. "They're testing weapons on their own droids?" Willow asked, watching intently through the scope of her Binary Rifle.

"This is unusual." Ahsoka commented.

Just as the capsule impacted, a bright flash appeared at the point of impact. From the flash emanated a burst of flame at ground level, searing the surface of the planet and stopping a few hundred meters before the tree that the SPARTANs were watching from. As the fire instantly disappeared, leaving faint wisps of smoke in its wake, all of the land within a one kilometer radius of the impact was swept clean of life, leaving the pair of droids standing where they were.

"It took out… every living thing." Ahsoka said, accenting what every SPARTAN was thinking.

"What in the Mantle's name was that?!" Alice shouted, causing the Jedi and clones to recoil.

"This is… unbelievable." Kathryn said as Alice connected her palm's Hard Light projector to the Prowler in orbit.

"Captain Haywood, are you seeing this?" Alice asked the small golden hologram of Haywood which rested on her palm.

"You're goddamn right I did." Haywood said, visibly angered by what he saw from orbit. "Protocol just changed, your new orders are to destroy all traces of that weapon and ensure these Separatists pay the price for creating it. I'll notify FLEETCOM Alpha that protocol has changed. As of right now, The Hood Protocol is in effect. Haywood out." Haywood cut the communication from his end, leaving Alice's palm empty.

"What does that mean?" Ahsoka asked. "What's going on?"

"We now have the green light to engage the Separatists." Alice explained, preparing her weapons. "The GC is at war."

"All over this one weapon?" Rex asked. "I'm not complaining that the Separatists made new enemies, but why over this one weapon?"

"You're unfamiliar with our culture and what our society is built on." Jane responded. "The Mantle of Responsibility is the core belief of our society, and the GC Military holds it in high regard. That barbaric weapon goes against everything we believe." Jane practically spat out the last sentence.

"Where are they going now?" Secura asked, seeing the armored column and three hundred droids begin rolling out.

"They have to be going back to the Lermin village, there's nothing else in that direction." Anakin explained.

"Damned savages…" Willow muttered under her breath, her grip tensing on her rifle.

"What do we do from here?" Alice asked, her voice finally evening out and returning to a stable tone.

"We get a shuttle and destroy their communications array, and then we go back and help the villagers." Anakin responded.

"But the Elder said he didn't want our help." Ahsoka said.

"There's a difference between dragging somebody into a war, and dooming them to extinction." Anakin said, sighing.

"How do we plan on doing this?" Kathryn asked. "I'd imagine a frontal assault is out of the question."

"It's almost night time." Anakin explained. "We wait for the suns to set, then we distract the patrol long enough so Snips and General Secura can scale the wall and open the front gate for us."

"Alright." Alice responded, stowing her Light Rifle in Slipspace and relaxing against the tree.

As the binary suns set, letting the unfamiliar constellations of the Andromeda Galaxy reveal themselves again, the GC and Republic warriors descended the tree, sneaking through the tall grass towards the dropship's compound. The Jedi and Clones noticed the SPARTANs moving with a new sense of purpose, their angry expressions almost burning through the blue visors of their helmets.

Ahsoka and Secura split off from the main group and snuck around towards the front of the compound, stopping at the edge of the tall grass. The SPARTANs, Clones, and Anakin stopped off to the left of the compound, just in front of a stopped Droid patrol. Anakin extended his hand and pulled a stone towards the group with the Force, catching the lead Droid's attention. "What was that?" The B1 Battle Droid asked in an almost comically high-pitched voice. The Droid noticed the stone begin rolling towards the tall grass, and proceeded to follow it.

Anakin quickly pulled the Droid into the grass and stuck it through with his lightsaber, quickly extinguishing the blade. The rest of the droids, finding their commander missing, slowly approach where they last saw their missing commander. The SPARTANs all ignited their Hard-Light blades at the same time, decapitating the remaining four droids in quick succession.

"You're clear, go!" Anakin whispered into his communicator, prompting Ahsoka and Secura to run out from the tall grass, narrowly avoiding the scanning searchlights as they approached the compound wall. Both Jedi used the Force to assist their jumps as they began scaling the wall.

The SPARTANs waited a few moments, hearing the distinct sounds of a lightsaber cutting through Droids, following the grinding sound of the front gate opening. The second team rushed past the scanning lights and entered the compound with the SPARTANs taking point. The SPARTANs, already being inside the compound, cared little for stealth at this point. Alice called forth a pulse grenade from Slipspace, tossing it into a small command bunker near the front of the compound. The grenade detonated, releasing pulses of energy every few milliseconds as it broke the Droids down to slag.

The rest of the SPARTAN team stormed in, firing their Hard Light weapons with ruthless efficiency. The GC soldiers, much to the surprise of the Republic's warriors, fought with an unbelievable speed and efficiency. The SPARTANs seemed capable of communicating even during a battle, working together to cut their way through dozens of droids before Anakin could even destroy three.

As a Spider Droid moved in on the SPARTANs, the Clones were left slack-jawed as Kathryn sprinted forward at an incredible speed, her shields absorbing the incoming blaster bolts. She swiftly sent a kick into one of the forelegs of the Spider Droid, causing it to stumble and provide an opening for her to empty her Bolter's energy cell into the Spider Droid's central eye. She quickly ducked into cover, allowing her shields to recharge while the rest of her team finished off the remaining Droids in the compound along with the Jedi and Clones.

As Kathryn stood up and ejected the spent energy cell, she found the Clones and Jedi staring at her and the rest of her team, mouth agape. "How…" Was all Anakin could manage, seeing the level of destruction wrought by the SPARTANs.

"Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned?" Aphrodite asked with a slight grin, yanking her blue Hard Light blade out of a Spider Droid's chassis before deactivating it. "But in all seriousness, it's classified until OMI deems it declassified."

"Fair enough…" Anakin responded. "C'mon, let's go commandeer this shuttle."

Anakin led the way towards the shuttle, which was parked behind the massive dropship. Ahsoka stared in awe at the SPARTANs as they walked, tossing their weapons back into Slipspace. "Sir! Shield generators." Rex said, pointing to a pair of dome-shield generators resting by the shuttle.

"Grab them; we're going to need them." Anakin responded, opening the shuttle's rear door. The SPARTANs climbed in behind Anakin and the rest of the Jedi while the Clones carried the shield generators on board.

Kathryn and the SPARTANs all sat in the relatively small seats of the CIS shuttle. Alice actually had to duck down slightly as she sat because of her height. Anakin, being the only surviving pilot from the crash, made his way into the cockpit and prepared the shuttle. "That was… impressive to say the least." Bly began, looking to Alice. "Not even Clone Commandos preform that well."

"I can't say that this was too much of a challenge." Alice responded. "Frankly, these Droids are a small threat to us when compared to some… past enemies."

"Being?" Rex asked, lurching forward slightly as the shuttle began to take off.

"Classified." Aphrodite interjected.

Just as the shuttle lurched forward slightly, the SPARTANs willed their helmets back into Slipspace, revealing their features again. The Jedi and Clones were struck by the newly apparent contrast. The SPARTANs in their full armor appeared as angels of death, capable of reaping untold amounts of destruction with ease. With their helmets off, they were little more than average humans in appearance, albeit slightly taller. The horrid thought crossed Ahsoka and Secura's minds at the same time, what if all of the people from this new galaxy were like SPARTANs?

After a few minutes of flying, the shuttle touched down and the rear door opened, allowing the SPARTANs, Clones, and Jedi out. Outside awaited the Lermin village, with a rather angry looking elder. "I thought I was quite clear with you when I told you to leave."

"The Separatists are coming back." Anakin explained. "And they certainly don't have good intentions."

"They didn't do us any harm last time, and we've done nothing to provoke them." The elder responded. "They have no reason to do anything now."

"Did they need a reason to ransack your village?" Alice asked, pointing to the dozens of holes in various tree pod huts after the previous encounter with the Droids. "They're coming back with the intent to use you and your people to test a new toy. Whether you like it or not, our philosophy can't damn you to extinction, no matter how little regard you might have for your own lives."

The elder proceeded to mumble something under his breath as he walked away, leaving his son behind. "I, and many of the others appreciate what you're trying to do, but we're very much set in our ways." The son said, attempting to rationalize his father's behavior.

"We're just doing our jobs." Anakin said. "Now, we need to get to work."

XXXXX

After a full night cycle of working with the Force and Slipspace Manipulation, the SPARTANs receiving clearance to use the technology from Haywood, a makeshift barricade of unused tree pods and metal scrap from the Republic Corvette wreck was constructed on the main road to the village that the droids were marching towards.

Many of the local villagers, under the advice of the SPARTANs, barricaded themselves inside their homes. Some of the locals who were more steadfast in their tradition were still working outside, occasionally stopping to watch the barricade be constructed. The Dome Shield generators were placed at either end of the village, and prepared to be activated by remote sensor.

As Kathryn and Ahsoka worked together to move a rather heavy piece of plated metal, Kathryn's augmented ears managed to make out the noise of Droid servos whirring. She quickly notified her team through her Neural Lance, and shouted out to the Clones and Jedi. "Droids inbound!"

The Clones, Jedi, and SPARTANs rushed over to the makeshift barricade, peeking over the top of it. They saw a full company of B2 Super Battle Droids, accompanied by a company of B1 Battle Droids as well as two CIS Battle Tanks. The artillery piece was located in the center of the two battle tanks, which had formed a line roughly one kilometer from the village.

The entire scene seemed to remain eerily still for a few moments, with that stillness broken by the firing of the large cannon on the back of the central tank. "Raise the shields!" Anakin shouted as the slow-moving projectile barreled upwards, nearing the apex of its arc. The shields were activated by Rex and Bly, causing a large semi-translucent dome to set in around the village. The Separatist weapon impacted a few dozen meters in front of the shield, sending out the familiar pulse of fire that swept all life away. The flames met the shield, running up the sides and around the protective wall of energy before fading away, leaving a scorched wasteland before it.

"It held!" Alice said. "What now?"

"We need to meet the droids in the open, or else they'll just walk through the shield and destroy the generators." Anakin explained,

"They can just walk- No… never mind." Willow said, preparing her Binary Rifle.

As the SPARTANs, Clones, and Jedi all stepped through the shield, the Droids began charging. The initial charge was made up of mostly B1 Battle Droids, with the occasional B2 mixed in. "Let's go SPARTANs!" Alice shouted, firing her Light Rifle as she advanced. Kathryn and Jane, being the fireteam members outfitted for close quarters, sprinted forward alongside the Jedi while Willow and Alice remained with the Clones.

As the two SPARTANs sprinted forward, surprised to find the Jedi keeping up, they fired their weapons as their shields absorbed incoming blaster bolts. Ahsoka and Secura began sticking closer to the two SPARTANs while Anakin sprinted through the advancing Droids, making his way towards the artillery tank. Kathryn was rather surprised at Ahsoka's agility and speed as she danced her way around the clunky droids, cutting them apart at the waist with her lightsaber. Secura fought in a more reserved manner, keeping on the defensive.

Kathryn's Neural Lance received a quick notifying signal from Jane's, prompting her to wheel around and fire her Bolter into the head of a B2 Battle Droid that was firing upon her squad mate. Kathryn quickly activated her wrist-mounted Hard Light blade and sliced through the neck of a droid that was aiming at Ahsoka. As the GC-Republic forces fought, they actually began to push the advancing droids back. The now-advancing Republic and GC forces were soon met with the onslaught of the B2 Droid Company.

The SPARTANs moved to regroup with the two Jedi, finding them to be taking most of the fire from the advancing Droids. The SPARTANs took advantage of the B2s focus on the Jedi and fired their collective weapons at the large group of B2s, the hard light rounds cutting them down. Kathryn and Jane both tossed pulse grenades in the largest concentration of droids, breaking them down into scrap with quick pulses of energy before the grenades' energy collapsed on itself, crushing any remaining droids within their immediate area.

As a few shots from Willow's Binary Rifle caused an entire squad of B2 droids to cease existing, a small explosion sounded off from the main tank in the armored column, the artillery piece on the top of the tank splitting in half and sliding to the ground. Kathryn spotted Anakin lifting up the fat Nemoidian with the Force as they finished off the remaining battle droids.

As the last B2 droid fell, the SPARTANs willed their weapons back into Slipspace and relaxed their posture. The SPARTANs felt that familiar feeling of pride as the Clones and Jedi looked to them with a sense of awe. The heaviest injuries sustained during the fight were a minor burn on Jane's right side, and a flesh wound on Willow's chest from a stray blaster bolt.

"Excellent work, Gamma." Alice said, admiring the scene before her. "Kathryn, assist General Skywalker with the prisoner."

Kathryn nodded and made her way over to Anakin, who was standing over the sitting Nemoidian, his arms crossed. The Nemoidian's eyes widened as the SPARTAN approached. He had seen what these soldiers were capable of, and feared them greatly. "Keep away from me, Republic scum!" The alien shouted, backing away from Kathryn.

Kathryn completely ignored the Nemoidian and turned to Anakin. "General, I assume that the Republic wants this bastard?"

"You wouldn't be wrong." Anakin replied, looking down to the alien.

"How long will it take for your Republic to find you here?" Kathryn asked, drawing a look of confusion from the sitting alien. Just as Kathryn finished asking her question, a group of three diamond-shaped starships entered the atmosphere, drawing everyone's attention.

"Well… that was eerie." Anakin said, looking to the ships. "They're here. I'd imagine that our Admiral has a few questions for you."

 **Author's Note:**

Sweet Jesus, sorry it took me so long to update this. I've been swamped with classes, work, and a severe case of Writer's' Block Syndrome.

Now that I've got myself situated, I plan to have a weekly update schedule with every update posted on either a Wednesday or Thursday.

Keep the reviews coming everyone, I appreciate every one of them!


	4. Chapter 3: The Republic

**Chapter 3: The Republic**

Kathryn and her team stepped out of the Republic LAAT Gunship which ferried them aboard the Venator Cruiser: _Endurance_ , followed by Rex, Bly, and the three Jedi. The hanger bay of the Venator was rather empty, save a few strange looking three-winged fighters and pilots milling about. The SPARTANs drew quite a few strange looks due in no small part to their silver armor which seemed to glow beneath the plates, as well as the fact that they stood a full head and shoulders above the Clones.

The SPARTANs were greeted by a group of four Clones with blue accents similar to Rex's, a robed man with a lightsaber at his hip, as well as an older man with greying hair and a large mustache who was wearing a light gray uniform adorned with medals. Anakin stepped forward, addressing the Officer first. "Admiral Yularan, I'm glad you could make it." Anakin said, the slightest hint of a joking tone in his voice.

"And I'm glad to see you all got out alright." Yularan replied. "I assume that these are the extra-galactic soldiers you were telling me about?"

"Yes, they're called SPARTANs."

"A pleasure to meet you…" The Admiral said, giving a respectful bow. "I am Fleet Admiral Yularan of the Grand Navy of the Republic."

"A pleasure." Alice responded. "I'm SPARTAN Alice, leader of this fireteam. The others here are Willow, Jane, Kathryn, and Aphrodite." Alice pointed to each of the SPARTANs in kind.

"General Skywalker tells me that you've declared war against the CIS?"

"Not officially, but I have no doubt we will." Alice responded. "The weapon that the CIS used down there is reason enough, but I'd imagine that it doesn't end there."

"If only you knew the half of it…" Yularan said.

"From what Anakin's told me, you certainly know how to handle yourselves." The bearded, robed man responded. "I'm General Obi-Wan Kenobi, Jedi Knight."

"A pleasure to meet you." Alice responded.

"Please, come with me." Yularan said. "If your people are truly declaring war against the CIS, I figure that I should probably bring you up to speed."

The SPARTANs and Jedi followed behind the Admiral as he stepped into a large elevator, pressing a few buttons that were labeled in a foreign, runic language. After a shot elevator ride, the Admiral led his company onto the Bridge of the _Endurance_. The entire Bridge crew stood up and gave a crisp salute, which the Admiral dismissed casually. He led the SPARTANs and Jedi towards the front window, overlooking the planet and the small Republic fleet in orbit.

"Wait…" Ahsoka said. "Didn't you say something about a fleet?" Ahsoka asked, looking up to the SPARTAN.

Aphrodite seemed to zone out for a few moments, followed by a frantic cry from a Clone Ensign. "Admiral, massive energy readings across the system!"

"Energy readings?" Yularan asked, looking outside. What he saw brought a sense of undeniable awe to him. He saw twelve massive rifts in space open up, each of them crackling with arcs of energy. From the smaller of the rifts came six strangely shaped vessels. These ships were almost rectangular in shape, and stretched about the length of the _Endurance_. From five other rifts came three kilometer long ships with a heavy slope to their plating. What truly amazed the Admiral, as well as the entire crew, was the image of the largest rift unleashing a fifty five kilometer long vessel into real space, dwarfing the Venator Cruisers and GC vessels alike. On the side of the massive vessel, written in incandescent white lettering, was _Infinity_.

Alice grinned to herself as she watched the Admiral and Jedi stand their slack-jawed at the sight of the GC fleet, which took up most of the Venator's viewport. "What is that?" Yularan managed.

"The largest one is the _GCSS Infinity_ , which is an Infinity-Class Carrier Dreadnought." Alice explained. "The ones with the sloped armor are Nebula-Class Battlecruisers, and the smallest ones are Singularity-Class Cruisers. This is Infinity Group Alpha. It was meant to explore this galaxy and look for life, and we found it."

"Ma'am." Aphrodite began. "I have Admiral Lasky on comms, he wishes to speak with you and the leadership of the Republic Fleet." Aphrodite produced a small disc-shaped object from Slipspace and tossed it to the floor of the Bridge, activating it remotely from her own Neural Network.

From the small disc came a slight shimmering effect, followed by the gold-hued hologram of a humanoid Android covered in silver plating. From beneath the plating emanated a slight glow, which was especially apparent in the glowing eyes of the Android construct. Unlike Aphrodite, this Android wore Forerunner Alloy armor for its outer skin, but still retained a distinctly human appearance, right down to a moving mouth. "SPARTAN Fireteam Gamma, I've gotta say, you never disappoint." The hologram said, giving a smile.

"Thank you, Admiral." Alice responded, standing at attention.

"Now onto the matter at hand." The Android began, turning to face Yularan and the Jedi, who were still staring at him in awe. "I'm Admiral Thomas Lasky of the Galactic Coalition, Commanding officer of the Infinity."

"I am Admiral Yularan of the Galactic Republic." Yularan responded, returning his face to its normal professionalism. "I must say, I wasn't expecting the Galactic Coalition to have Droid commanders."

"I don't exactly fit with your definition of 'droid', Admiral." Lasky explained. "I'm light years ahead of these Battle Droids you're familiar with. Most people in the GC refer to my kind as Prometheans. But nevertheless, I'm excited to speak with you. Considering that this is a First Contact scenario, I feel it only fitting that we discuss in person before we inevitably meet with your government."

"I agree, I'll have the _Endurance's_ hanger bay opened for one of your transports."

"Perfect." Lasky said. "I, along with a few representatives from other races within the GC, will be aboard in a few moments." With that, Lasky cut the communication, leaving the bridge of the Venator missing the golden glow of the emitter.

Yularan was the first to compose anything even resembling a sentence as he managed to pull his gaze away from the massive GC starship before him. "I… I'm honestly speechless, this is unbelievable."

"A lot of people say the same when they first see our technology." Alice responded. "There's the Admiral now." She pointed to a small dropship which bore the same silverite armored plating as all other GC technology. The dropship, the Pelican Mk. X, carried over the same general design as its Human-Covenant War predecessor, but each Pelican under GC control was nearly twice as fast, and even more heavily armored.

"Open the Hanger Bay doors!" Yularan ordered, sending the Clone ensigns back into their duties. The Pelican ducked into the Venator's Hanger, which closed behind the entering dropship.

The Venator's crew remained in a strange state of limbo for a few minutes, some of the Ensigns unable to take their eyes off of the marvel of engineering that was the _Infinity_. The remaining Ensigns attempted to carry out their duties, but found themselves distracted by the imposing nature of the GC starships. The Jedi managed to keep an image of professional self-control, at least until the elevator opened.

From the elevator came an escort of two Clones, accompanied by a seven foot tall Promethean Android, A Sangheili in ornate runic armor, and an Unggoy in dark blue robes. Accompanying the GC dignitaries were four GC Marine Honor Guardsmen, two of them Sangheili and two of them Human. The Marine armor vaguely resembled the SPARTAN armor, but appeared less intricate and more mass-produced. It did away with the silver-blue color scheme and replaced it with a blue-black-gray digital camouflage pattern. The Sangheili armor appeared similar to their traditional Combat Harnesses, but covered almost all of their tall, powerful forms. The only uncovered section of the Sangheili Marines was their faces, carrying an imposing appearance thanks to their quad-mandible jaw and rows upon rows of razor-sharp teeth.

The Promethean stepped over to Admiral Yularan, all of the Bridge's eyes fixated on him. His metallic face shifted into a smile as he bowed his head. "A pleasure to meet you in person, Admiral. I'm Admiral Thomas Lasky, this is Field Marshall Aiter'Vadum of the Sangheili, and Representative Nawaz of the Unggoy species."

"A pleasure to meet all of you." Yularan replied. "I am Admiral Yularan of the Republic Navy. The people to my right are Jedi Generals Aayla Secura, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Anakin Skywalker, and Commander Ahsoka Tano."

As the Jedi were introduced, one of the Sangheili marines muttered to his compatriot. "What warrior wears robes into battle?"

"I believe that the Chancellor wishes to speak with representatives from your government in person, as does the Jedi Council." Yularan replied.

"Understandable, should I have any of our ships follow?" Lasky asked.

"Of course, but I'd imagine that it would be preferable for you to bring a smaller one."

"Alright, I'll order two Singularity-Class Cruisers to tail your battlegroup. Now, shall we discuss a few things before we leave?"

"Indeed…" Yularan began, turning to a Clone crewman. "Set Hyperspace coordinates for Coruscant, replay coordinates to the GC fleet."

"SPARTAN Fireteam Gamma, you're relieved for now."

XXXXX

The SPARTANs sat in the Mess Hall of the Venator Cruiser, which was moving through Hyperspace towards Coruscant. Following the Venator were two Singularity-Class Cruisers. Ahsoka and Anakin sat with the SPARTANs while Obi-Wan moderated the discussion between Yularan and Lasky.

"I still can't really wrap my head around that…" Anakin began, addressing Alice. "You travel through dimensions for your FTL travel?"

"To a certain degree, yes." Alice explained. "Our ships aren't actually moving faster than light, they're moving at normal speeds in a dimension where the relation between time and distance is different. It actually isn't much faster than your Hyperspace drives, you're only about .5 percent slower."

Anakin nodded, another voice cutting him off before he could continue his questions. "Entertaining the locals, SPARTAN?" Lasky asked, stepping into the room with Yularan, Obi-Wan, and Aayla Secura behind him.

"Admiral!" Alice said, standing at attention with her team. They relaxed as Lasky waved them off. "When are we slated to arrive at Coruscant?"

"In a few moments, actually." Obi-Wan said.

"And apparently the plan's changed." Lasky continued. "We're not going to meet the Senate. The Jedi Council apparently wants to speak with a ranking officer from our fleet, and the team that saved the crew of that corvette. That means we're going to their Jedi Temple while one of the Singularity-Class Captains represents Humanity to the Senate."

The Venator lurched slightly as it dropped out of Hyperspace. "I'll get to the bridge and coordinate the landing. There's an LAAT in the hanger for you." Yularan said, stepping out of the Mess.

XXXXX

The LAAT gunship carrying the SPARTANs, Lasky and the other representatives, Jedi, and Captain Rex and Commander Bly left the hanger bay of the Endurance just in time to watch the Singularity-Class Cruisers leave the black void of Slipspace. The blocky warships stood in stark contrast to the sleeker Republic Cruiser that they fell into formation with.

A Pelican Mk. XI Dropship left each of the GC Cruisers, falling in behind the LAAT as it descended towards Coruscant. The planet itself was more akin to a single massive city as opposed to a planet. The massive monolithic skyscrapers stretched past the planet's cloud layer, giving the planet a cramped feeling.

The LAAT broke off from the two Pelicans and made its way towards a large rectangular building near the end of a massive courtyard. The two Pelicans continued towards the base of a massive domed structure on another end of that same courtyard. The LAAT set down at the base of a long flight of stairs, leading up to a massive entryway into the Jedi Temple. Obi-Wan led the way out of the strangely shaped dropship, with Anakin and Ahsoka following behind. Lasky and the SPARTANs left after them, with the four GC Marines following their commanding officer.

"Impressive." Lasky said. "Your planet is quite possibly the most developed one that I've ever seen."

"It's been the capital of the Republic for well over one thousand years, even then it hasn't changed much." Obi-Wan responded, leading the way up the steps and into the temple. The temple itself had a simple architectural style, with mostly flat angular design choice. The walls were colored a rather dull shade of light brown with red accents on various places. As they stepped into the main hall, a long hallway with massive pillars lining either side, every set of eyes in the area turned to look at them. Among those eyes were some children who appeared to be as young as six years old, joining their elders in staring at both the massive Promethean before them, and the group of SPARTANs

"Master Kenobi!" One of the younger aliens asked. "Who're they?"

Kenobi smiled at the young Twi'lek girl. "They're friends; I'm taking them to speak with the Council." The young Twi'lek waved to Lasky, who couldn't help but grin as he returned the gesture.

"Come." Obi-Wan said with a smile. "We'll have time to introduce you formally once you've discussed with the Council."

Lasky and the GC personnel followed behind their Jedi escort through the hallway of the Jedi Temple, drawing stares as they climbed the stairs towards the Council Chamber. In the chamber sat thirteen Jedi, all of varying species. Facing the entryway was a darker skinned human, flanked on one side by a small, green alien with thin white hair and a wrinkled complexion. Throughout the room was also a green alien with tentacles running from the back of his head, as well as a woman of the same species as Ahsoka, and a Jedi with an almost cone-shaped head and white beard. As the GC personnel stepped into the Council Chambers, all eyes turned to look at them.

"Welcome to Coruscant." The darker skinned human said, leaning forward and resting his elbows on his knees. His tone was indifferent, bordering on distrusting. "I am Jedi Master Mace Windu, and this is the Jedi Council."

"I'm honored." Lasky said, bowing his head. "I'm Fleet Admiral Thomas Lasky of the Galactic Coalition First Fleet. I've got a representative of the Sangheili and Unggoy species, as well as the fireteam that saved the crew of your corvette on the fringe world with me."

"I can see… and who do you represent?" Windu asked, looking Lasky up and down.

"I'm the representative for Humanity, as well as the representative of the GC Armed Forces."

"Why is a machine representing Humanity?" The Togrutan woman asked, her voice carrying an air of authority.

"I'm not a machine that falls in line with what you understand." Lasky explained. "About a millennia ago, I was just as human as one of the Marines standing behind me. An accident aboard my old ship caused the entire crew, including myself, to have our minds composed into a digital format and uploaded into artificial bodies."

"You've had this technology for a thousand years?" Windu asked.

"Not exactly." Lasky explained. "That incident was a freak accident while we were investigating old ruins in our own galaxy."

"I see…" Windu said, leaning back. "What are your intentions here?"

"Well… initially our intentions were purely scientific. We wanted to explore this galaxy when we first arrived. Once we discovered the exact nature of the Separatists, thanks to their appalling weapon they deployed against pacifistic civilians, we retaliated."

"Why would you get involved? Our war isn't exactly related to you." The green-skinned alien with tentacles on his head asked.

"Our society is built on the preservation of life. A weapon like the one the Separatists deployed goes against everything we stand for." Lasky explained. "This ideology is the driving force behind our actions more often than not."

"Well, the Senate has already held a preliminary hearing." Windu said. "And it looks like they'd like to have your GC as an ally in this war. If the discussions happening today go smoothly, I think the GC and Republic will be working side by side in this conflict."

"Good." Lasky said. "Our own Parliament has held a hearing as well, and the result was similar. The President of the GC wants our forces working alongside Republic forces."

"Really?" The cone-headed humanoid alien asked. "How many of your forces are currently in our galaxy?"

"A small fleet of seven vessels, a ground army of around four hundred thousand soldiers, and a few armored divisions." Lasky answered. "If the Republic formally recognizes an alliance, I'd imagine that the President will allow more reinforcements to be sent."

"I certainly hope so." Windu said. "The CIS can roll soldiers off of an assembly line."

One of the Sangheili muttered under his breath. "Interesting statement coming from the General of an army of clones." The Sangheili found many things dishonorable, clone armies were certainly one of them.

"Before we go on…" Lasky said. "I'd like to propose something that could help both of our organizations get a better understanding of one another. I'd like to ask if I can attach a few SPARTANs to a Jedi, simply to shadow them and better understand the nature of the war and the workings of the Order. Think of it in the sense of fostering understanding between two allies."

The Jedi councilors looked to one another, almost all of them nodding to Windu, who remained stoic. "I'm inclined to consider your offer, but how many of these soldiers do you want to attach to a Jedi?"

"No more than ten." Lasky answered. "Specifically, I'd like to attach the members of Fireteam Gamma here to a Jedi of their choice. They've had the most interaction with Jedi out of any of our ground forces."

"Very well, I think that can be arranged." Windu said. "Are there any Jedi you had in mind?"

Lasky turned to look at the SPARTANs, who began looking to each other. "Gamma? The choice is yours."

Alice shrugged. "I suppose I'll work with General Kenobi, if he'll allow it."

"I'd be honored." Obi-Wan replied.

Jane looked to Anakin. "I'll work with General Skywalker."

"I'd be happy to have you, SPARTAN." Anakin said with a smile.

Willow shifted her stance slightly, finding all eyes focused on her. "I'll work with General Secura and he forces, if she'll let me."

"I'd be happy to, I'm interested in learning more about you." Secura responded, giving the SPARTAN a nod.

Kathryn thought for a moment. "Ahsoka?" She asked, looking to the younger Jedi.

"Me? I'm just a Padawan learner." Ahsoka said, unsure. "Master?"

"It's up to you, Snips." Anakin replied. "You're a Jedi just like everyone else here."

Ahsoka thought for a moment, and nodded. "Alright, sounds good."

"Aphrodite, I need you back on the Prowler coordinating data between Republic and GC fleet assets."

"Aye sir." Aphrodite responded.

"Now, where is the GC needed?" Lasky asked. "Once the Senate and Parliament come to an agreement, I'll be in command of all fleet movements within this galaxy. I'd like some insignt as to where our forces would be most useful."

"There's a bit of an incident on a relatively close planet called Christophsis. A Clone army is blockaded on the planet by a Separatist fleet and is currently under siege." The Togrutan woman responded. "The Separatists have been making a massive push in these past few weeks, and Christophsis is essential to the Republic's war effort."

"The instant the treaty is struck, I'll give the order." Lasky responded.

"Thank you, Admiral." The Togrutan replied.

"I think that'll be all for now." Windu said. "I'd imagine that a lot of the Jedi and younglings outside are interested in meeting you."

"Of course, I'll keep you all posted on any major changes." Lasky said. Lasky motioned to the group of GC personnel, who relaxed their posture. Obi-Wan, Anakin, Secura, and Ahsoka led them out into the courtyard. "That honestly went better than I expected." Lasky said.

"I'm inclined to agree." Obi-Wan said. "I was expecting much longer and more heated discussions."

Lasky shrugged. "How would you prefer we go about the attack on Christophsis? I have my entire fleet on standby ready to move. The only question is the Republic Fleet. The way I see it, _Infinity_ can carry however many of you three will be joining, and do enough damage to the Separatist blockade to allow GC and Republic forces to land."

"Probably the most sound plan." Obi-Wan said. "Republic forces are spread quite thin, and most of Anakin's and my own battlegroups are going to be in dry-dock for the foreseeable future. I only have a single combat-ready Venator and four Acclimator Assault Ships."

"I've only got two Venators." Anakin replied. "I lost most of my forces in the battle before your Prowler found us."

"Alright… the _Infinity_ is open to whoever needs transport to this planet." Lasky said. "Your remaining ships can come in a few minutes after the GC fleet leaves Slipspace."

"Well, most of Anakin's legion, the 501st, is trapped on Christophsis after the attack. My Battalion, the 212th, is here on Coruscant. They can be moved on the Acclimators and Venators."

"Alright, then it's decided." Lasky said. "I'll order the Infinity to Slipspace in at some point in the next two days, then we can get started. Until then, I've got to answer the same question a few hundred times." Lasky said, looking to the gathering crowd of Jedi, Padawans, and Younglings standing at the base of the staircase.

"Snips and I will show everyone around." Anakin said, motioning for Ahsoka and the SPARTANs to follow him. "I know a few good places around the Upper Levels."


	5. Chapter 4: Politicking

**Chapter 4: Politicking**

Aiter'Vadum, Captain Haywood, and Nawaz all stepped from the back of the Pelican Mk. XI dropship and into a large courtyard overlooked by a large domed structure. The silver metallic nature of the massive urban sprawl reminded Aiter of Forerunner architecture to a certain degree, albeit a bit less ornate and more functional. A group of GC Marines, each of them coming from a various member species of the Coalition, stepped out of the Pelican behind their representatives.

They were met by an older human man with white hair and a set of red, ornate robes. He was flanked by four Clone troopers in their normal Phase-1 armor, accented by red stripes along their shoulders and tops of their helmets. Next to the older man was a young human woman with brown hair and brown eyes, wearing her hair in a tight bun on the top of her head. All of the people before the GC representatives looked to the massively tall Sangheili, the Human, and the shorter Unggoy with a sense of amazement.

The older human bowed as the GC personnel approached. "Welcome to Coruscant." He said with a sincere looking smile on his face. "I am Chancellor Sheev Palpatine of the Galactic Republic, and this is Senator Padme Amidala of Naboo."

"And I am Field Marshall Aiter'Vadum of the Galactic Coalition. This is Captain Haywood of the same vessel which found your crashed corvette. This would be Representative Nawaz." Aiter explained, pointing to his two compatriots in kind.

"A pleasure to meet all of you." Palpatine said. "And I must thank you personally for your actions on that small colony world. The quick thinking of your captain and ground forces quite possibly saved those Jedi."

"Of course." Aiter replied. "Now, I believe that your senate wished to meet with us personally?"

"Indeed, the Senate will be starting an emergency session in a few moments." Palpatine explained. "We've already held a preliminary discussion regarding your entrance into the war, but many of the Senators are reserving their vote until they hear from and see you."

"Understandable." Aiter conceded, following behind the Chancellor as he led the way into the Senate building. As Aiter and the other GC representatives walked through the halls of the Senate complex, they drew quite a few interested stares from other alien diplomats. Most of the stares were directed at Nawaz, Aiter, and the Kig-Yar Marines which followed behind the ambassadors.

Aiter occasionally caught Senator Amidala giving him a few cursory glances, which she immediately averted once he turned to look at her. Aiter was a bit more imposing than the average Sangheili as he stood at nearly nine and a half feet tall, almost nine inches taller than normal Sangheili.

The group came to a stop just outside a small arched entryway, which overlooked most of the Senate floor. The Senate Chambers themselves spanned a diameter of well over a kilometer, with disc-like platforms that floated to the center of the floor, just below the Chancellor's podium, when a Senator wished to speak. Aiter was rather impressed by the sheer number of Senators within the chambers, but noticed that a few of the platforms stood vacant as well. "Here is the platform you will be speaking from." Palpatine explained. "Simply activate the large button in the platform's console after I've brought the Senate to order and made the introduction."

"Thank you, Chancellor." Aiter said, nodding his head.

"Of course." Palpatine said. "Senator Amidala has offered to sit in on your platform and explain the Senate proceedings, simply to make the process smoother."

Aiter nodded. "Thank you, Senator." Aiter turned to a Human and Kig-Yar Marine and ordered them to stand at the entryway, causing the two soldiers to stand at either side of the door at rigid attention.

Aiter, Haywood, Nawaz, Padme, and the remaining Marines all walked onto the platform. Aiter sat down next to Padme, who began explaining the basic procedures of the Galactic Senate.

Aiter spotted the Chancellor stepping up onto his central podium, prompting Padme to stand up. "Well, that's all I can share with you for now." Padme said, smiling. "Good luck."

"Thank you, Senator." Aiter said, bowing his head as Padme stepped off of the platform, past the Marine guardsmen. As Padme left, Palpatine began addressing the Senate.

"Senators of the Galactic Republic…" Palpatine began, silencing the Senate Chambers. "A mere twenty hours ago, Admiral Yularan's Fleet was ambushed by Separatist forces over Mon Cala. The battle was eventually won, but Generals Skywalker and Secura were forced to make a hyperspace jump out of the system. Their ship had sustained heavy damage and was forced to make a crash landing on a small garden world. There, they encountered a Separatist weapon capable of unbelievable destruction. Thankfully, the Jedi were helped by an extra-galactic force from the nearby DN-122 Galaxy, or the Milky Way. This organization is known as the Galactic Coalition. They are responsible for saving both the local villagers and the Jedi Generals. It is my honor to introduce the representatives of the Galactic Coalition to this Senate."

Palpatine gestured to Aiter, who pressed the holographic button in the center of the console. The platform slowly floated towards the center of the Senate floor, just beneath the Chancellor's podium. Aiter stood up, drawing a few murmurs from the Senators, which were quickly silenced by a blue Twi'lek standing next to the Chancellor. Aiter locked his hands behind his back and began speaking. "Thank you, Chancellor Palpatine. My name is Field Marshall Aiter'Vadum of the Galactic Coalition Marine Corps. The Galactic Coalition's intention in this galaxy, which we call Andromeda, was scientific in nature. We hoped to find life and study its different forms, just as we always have. Luckily our Prowler, captained by Joshua Haywood, who sits here behind me, happened to exit Slipspace in the same system as your Jedi's corvette."

"It is thanks to the actions of four special forces operatives and one intelligence officer that we were… enlightened to Separatist action against civilians and the Republic. The Jedi generals were kind enough to share some non-classified data regarding the war against the Separatists, data which has been forwarded to our Military High Command. After reviewing the data, our government has officially issued a declaration of war against the Separatist Alliance." Aiter's words caused an uproar and divide within the Senate. Some of the Senators appeared to be applauding the news, some jeered in discontent, while others simply remained silent.

"This is an outrage!" A Nemoidian representative of the Trade Federation declared as his platform floated towards the GC platform. "What right do these outsiders have to come into our galaxy and involve themselves in our war?"

"Strange…" Palpatine began. "I don't recall the Chair recognizing the Trade Federation."

Aiter's mandibles split into a Sangheili grin, at both the Chancellor's remarks and the data his AI was feeding into his Neural Lance. "It is of no issue, Chancellor." Aiter responded. "It is certainly a fair question. I can understand why someone like this would be opposed to a war ending quickly."

"And what is that supposed to mean?" The Nemoidian demanded.

Aiter grinned as the alien fell into his trap. "War has always been profitable for your Trade Federation, has it not? That would certainly explain why Trade Federation, Banking Clan, and Techno Union executives are responsible for directly funding the Separatists early on in the war. Tell me… how much has the blood of innocents lined your coffers?"

"These accusations have no basis!" The Federation Senator shouted. "These aliens have only been here a few days!"

"We may be new, but the data is there." Aiter continued. "Your organization blockaded the peaceful planet of Naboo, holding its people hostage in an attempt to arrest their queen, the same queen that defied your imposed blockade and demands. This also raises the question… why is a corporation given representation in your government?"

The entire Senate sat in stunned silence. Aiter spotted a grin on Senator Amidala's face as he scanned the responses of the Senators. "The Trade Federation withdraws its objection." The Nemoidian said, dejectedly as his platform floated back to its original location.

Before Aiter could continue, Senator Amidala's platform came forward. "I would like to pose a question to the Galactic Coalition representatives." Padme said.

"The floor recognizes the Senator from Naboo." Palpatine said, watching intently.

"How active of a role will the GC take in this war?" Padme asked. "How active will you be in this galaxy?"

Aiter thought for a moment before responding. "The Galactic Coalition, in terms of our activity in this war, will remain at the Republic's side should the proposed treaty be agreed to. Our fleets, under orders from our President, would engage targets outlined by the Republic. You have been fighting this war for nearly a year; you have a more intimate understanding than we do. As for our involvement in this Galaxy in general, our Parliament and President wish to establish a permanent embassy here on Coruscant to foster relations between the Coalition and the Republic. Further details regarding our relations can be discussed from there."

Palpatine interjected. "Well, I believe that I can promise an embassy. I will bring the treaty to a vote right now, if there are no objections." The entire senate remained silent, causing a smile to come to Palpatine's face. "Excellent, if you would all be so kind as to cast your votes now."

Aiter watched the holographic display on his platform's console as the votes flowed in. A vast majority of the Senate voted in favor of signing the proposed treaty, with the larger minority voting to abstain. Aiter chuckled as he saw the Trade Federation's Senators and four more Senators vote against the treaty. "Then we are all, for the most part, in agreement." Palpatine said. "The treaty with the Galactic Coalition has been formally accepted."

"Excellent." Aiter said. "I will notify our President as soon as possible."

"Perfect." Palpatine said with a smile. "Now, I'd imagine that the Senators and the Press have a few questions for you."

Aiter gave an inaudible sigh and settled in for the long haul.

 **AN:**

Sorry about the shorter chapter this time, couldn't really think of anything more to add to this one.

Thanks for the reviews everyone, I really appreciate all of them. Thanks especially to the reviewer who was kind enough to correct me on my Andromeda distance. Andromeda is certainly not 65 million light years away. Andromeda and the Milky Way are set to collide in 3.5 billion years, which is where my confusion came from, as I thought they would need to be much further for it to take that long.


	6. Chapter 5: Christophsis Invaded

**Chapter 5: Christophsis Invaded**

The Separatist Blockade over Christophsis sat in geosynchronous orbit over the green planet with a sense of arrogance, this arrogance brought out even further by the husks of three Venators drifting through the blackness of space. A few squadrons of interceptors and bombers left the hanger bays of the six Lucerhulks in orbit, bearing down on the planet's surface. The fifteen Separatist Frigates drifted lazily in-between the gaps created by the Lucerhulks.

The Admiral of the Separatist fleet sat at the commander's chair on the central Lucerhulk Battleship, watching the empty void with a disinterested look on his face. The Admiral was a thin, slightly greyish-green Nemoidian with a single cybernetic eye over his right eye. His attention was caught by a Tactical Droid off to his right, which began speaking in synthesized monotone. "Admiral, five Republic cruisers are leaving Hyperspace just beyond our maximum range."

"Hmm…" The Admiral said, leaning back in his chair. "The Republic must be getting desperate. Launch all fighters and prepare to repulse their fighter screen."

"Affirmative…" The Droid responded, stopping once it looked back at the scanner station. "Admiral, we have three strange energy signatures just behind the Republic fleet."

"Energy signatures? What kind?"

"Massive Dark Energy signatures. They appear to be somewhat disc-shaped with no depth to them, beyond that there is no data I can draw from these strange readings."

As the Admiral looked out into space, he saw the small specks of the Republic Cruisers out in the distance, accompanied by three massive… holes in the fabric of space itself. As the Admiral looked out in interest, three ships came from the massive tears in space, one of them exponentially larger than the entire Republic Fleet, with two others being about twice the size of a Venator. The largest ship completely dwarfed the Lucerhulk, and probably dwarfed the entire Separatist fleet. "Bring the whole fleet to alert!" The admiral shouted, prompting every droid on the Lucerhulk's bridge to spring into action.

XXXXX

Lasky looked at the green, almost crystalline surface of Christophsis as the Infinity left Slipspace. He watched as the ship's AI fed him sensor and logistics data directly into his highly computerized brain. "Launch all strike craft, bring the ship to Combat Alert Alpha." Lasky squinted as _Infinity_ 's forward batteries opened fire, launching massive bolts of Hard Light at the Separatist Fleet. Two of the Separatist Frigates simply shattered as the superheated mass of light splashed across their hulls, while the remainder of the bolts were surprisingly absorbed by Lucerhulk shields.

The _Infinity_ shuddered slightly as a full barrage of turbolasers landed across her bow shields, causing them to flare up with a brilliant golden light. Lasky was rather surprised by the power behind the Separatist weapons, which actually managed to slightly drain the shields. The Republic ships quickly began moving to close the gap between the two fleets while the Singularity-Class vessels in the fleet began firing a full barrage from their missile tubes. Most of the missiles were blasted out of space by Separatist CIWS, but a handful managed to find their mark on a Lucerhulk's shields. Lasky smiled as the Cesium-137 warhead met the oxygen cell located in the rear of the missile, causing a series of massive detonations across the hull of the Lucerhulk as the two elements reacted explosively. The strange, circular ship's shields flared, and then sputtered out. A final missile from the Singularity finished off the weakened Separatist Battleship.

The Separatists returned fire with their own volley, most of the turbolasers focused on the bow of the _Infinity_. One of the Venators took a rather nasty strike to her citadel, while a Singularity's shields actually fell to the Separatist barrage. The swarm of GC and Republic strike craft made contact with the Separatist fighter screen, a small explosion occasionally lighting up the otherwise black void of space between the two fleets. Lasky watched as two Reaver Interceptors blinked off of his tactical display, destroyed in dogfights. A group of Republic Y-Wing bombers managed to punch through the fighter screen, escorted by GC strike craft. The bombers released their payloads into the bridge of a Lucerhulk, causing it to erupt in flames as the Turbolasers ceased firing.

All at once, the GC fleet fired a barrage from their forward batteries, shattering many of the small Separatist frigates almost instantly. Another Lucerhulk detonated, sending flames arching through space from the central sphere as Hard Light struck against their target. The Lucerhulks sent out one final barrage in spite of their blatant disadvantage, all of them focusing fire on one of the elongated, blocky Singularities. The Singularity's shields held for a time, but eventually sputtered out, allowing turbolasers to slam into the hull of the GC warship. Dozens of decks were depressurized as armor plating was stripped and burned off, invariably sending GC military personnel into the blackness of space.

Lasky let out a grim sigh as another full volley from the fleet obliterated the remaining Lucerhulks and Banking Clan Support Frigates. The GC and Republic strike craft began returning to their respective ships while the damaged Singularity Cruiser limped towards the _Infinity_ , eventually docking with the starboard side of the massive warship for field repairs.

Lasky received a notification from the tactical display before him, notifying him that six Acclimator Assault Ships arrived just behind the _Infinity_. These smaller carrier frigates began moving towards the crystalline surface of Christophsis, flanked by the Venators. The GC battlegroup followed behind the Republic fleet, which had begun launching LAAT dropships towards the surface of the planet. "Launch all landing craft, prep SOEIV Pods for deployment."

XXXXX

The first wave of GC forces flew through heavy flak, a few of the Pelican dropships shattering under the oppressive fire from the planet's surface. As they came closer to the glassy, crystalline surface of Christophsis, the Pelicans opened their rear doors, allowing 25 Marines to pour out. "There's the 501st Forward Operations Base." Alice said from her position in the rear of a Pelican. "They're currently under attack by the Separatists, and our orders are to provide support. Lasky wants us and the Marines Fifth through Tenth companies to push through and open up a lane for armored support." As the Pelican landed, she motioned with her right hand. "Everyone out! Move, move, move!" At her word, the entirety of her fireteam, and 22 Marines poured out of the back of the Pelican, seeing the full scope of the damage.

Most of the buildings in the massive crystal city on the surface were shattered, collapsed, or heavily burned and battered. Only a few small buildings had no damage. Hundreds of GC Marines advanced across a large boulevard, ducking into cover as a burst of blaster fire was fired at them from an advancing droid column. A dozen SOEIV pods impacted behind the advancing droids, twelve ODSTs in their black Forerunner-Alloy armor jumping out and immediately firing their weapons. The rear-most droids, not expecting such an attack, were quickly cut down before the rest could turn and open fire on the ODSTs, forcing them into cover.

Alice motioned for her team to follow behind as she called her weapon into existence, moving at speeds only a SPARTAN could ever achieve. They quickly joined up with the advancing Marine company, sliding into cover after firing a few well-aimed shots at a group of B2 droids. Gamma took part in a quick firefight, felling numerous droids with the assistance of the Marines around them. The Sangheili in the Marine detachment let out a powerful war cry as a Mgalekgolo bond pair stomped out from the rear of a Pelican and fired concentrated beams of superheated gases through the hull of a Separatist tank, reducing the tank to little more than molten slag before its reactor detonated, sending shrapnel in all directions.

"Gamma, break off!" Alice shouted, highlighting a building 300 meters ahead on their HUDs. The SPARTANs quickly broke off from the Marines, activating their active camouflage units as they sprinted through the empty field of broken droids. Once the SPARTANs regrouped at the building, they began moving forward once again, coming upon a Marines Force Recon team 200 meters down the boulevard, which was holed up behind a destroyed train car of some sort.

The Force Recon team was comprised of mostly Kig-Yar and Kig-Yar Skirmishers, with one Human and one Sangheili Ranger. "What's the situation, Sergeant?" Alice asked, jogging up behind the Kig-Yar NCO.

"Going to plan, Ma'am." The Kig-Yar responded in his very high-pitched, almost scratchy voice. "GC forces have landed and secured a successful LZ for the armored divisions, but the Republic's having a bit more trouble on the eastern end. Skywalker's legion is pinned down in their FOB, Kenobi's is locked in a stalemate against a large droid battalion, and we've lost contact with a FORECON team that was sent to investigate. Sending orbital data to your HUD."

Alice scanned over the tactical data, sending it to the rest of her team as well. "Gamma, we're moving forward." She said, highlighting a section of the city on their display. This section was locked between the 501st FOB and their current location, roughly 600 meters away. "Let's see if we can't find that Recon team."

The SPARTANs moved out from their cover, beginning to advance along the boulevard again. The massively wide street was scattered with the wrecks of vehicles, both civilian and military. As they advanced, a few stray droids attempted to fire on them, but they were quickly dispatched. As they neared an intersection with a smaller street, they saw few blue bolts scattered among the barrage of red bolts, signifying the existence of a few Clones. As the SPARTANs approached, they found a group of seven clones, all of them with blue accents on their armor, pinned down behind a wall of rubble. They occasionally popped out to return fire, but were quickly forced back down by the sheer volume of fire from the advancing droids. The SPARTANs sprinted forward, their shields taking a few stray blaster bolts before they ducked into cover. "Are you the support Skywalker promised us?" The clone leader asked once the four strange looking soldiers in silver armor slid into cover next to him.

"Yeah, we are." Alice responded, poking her head out to fire a few rounds downrange, striking a B2 droid in its chest. She was quickly forced back into cover.

"I don't know who, or what you are…" The Clone said. "But I'm not one to turn down help. We got cut off from the FOB a few hours ago, we've been trying to fight our way back ever since!"

"You've got a full armored division coming in from the West." Alice responded. "We'll do what we can for now." Alice nodded to her team, letting them know that it was time to get started. In perfect synchronization, Jane and Kathryn vaulted over the rubble, activating their wrist-mounted Hard Light projectors. Their projectors created a large shield of blue light, which began absorbing incoming blaster fire. Willow and Alice followed behind, using their squadmates as moving cover. Jane and Kathryn drew bolt pistols, firing their sidearms at the droids while Alice and Willow fired their Lightrifles. The droids seemed completely confused at the rather bold tactical decisions, and momentarily forgot about the existence of the seven clones, which also popped out from cover to start firing. The droids all quickly fell under the combined firepower of the clones, and the accuracy and speed of the SPARTANs.

As the strain began to feel much greater against the Hard Light Shield, which began waning slightly, the SPARTANs quickly moved back into cover, tossing Area-Denial Pulse Grenades, which sent out pulses of energy and dismantled the droids at an atomic level. After a few moments of waiting in cover for their shields to recharge, a large artillery round landed a few meters away from the Clones and SPARTANs, kicking up gravel and rubble in all directions. The SPARTANs were forced to remain in cover as the remaining droids advanced. A pair of Vulture Droids dove on the Clone position, strafing their cover. One of the unlucky 501st Clones was struck in the chest by the heavy repeating blaster cannon on the droid fighter, killing him instantly. After the Vulture Droids left, the metallic sounds of droids marching sounded off again.

As the droids were mere meters from the cover that the Clones were using, a large explosive bolt of Hard Light landed at the front of the droid lines, sending arms and legs flying in all directions. The Clones looked back, seeing the strange tank that had come to their assistance. The tank was a large, Forerunner Alloy construct which hovered a few inches off the ground. It had two massive cannons on the top of its sleek, sloped armored chassis, as well as two heavy machine guns in a coaxial position. Four Sangheili-led Marine squads followed behind the tank, which continued firing. The tank, which was of the Panther armored platform, rolled up just behind the cover and opened up with the Hard-Light Splinter Cannon, firing off hundreds of rounds in a few seconds. The four Marine squads moved up, taking up positions alongside the Clones as they fired.

After a few moments of constant fire from the Panther tank, the droids had all been reduced to smoldering wrecks. A few Marine Corpsmen ran over from the advancing GC lines, their biofoam injectors and medical kits prepared to assist any wounded Clone or Marine. "Ha-ha!" One of the Clones shouted, seeing the sheer number of GC forces pushing forward. "That's a gorgeous sight."

"Gamma, ready up!" Alice shouted, motioning with her Lightrifle that it was time to move. The SPARTANs moved towards the spearhead of the advancing armored division, which consisted of the relatively light Panther tanks, a few of the heavier Hood-VI Heavy Tanks, and a pair of Hellcat Super-Heavy Tanks. The Hellcats were truly a sight to behold, stretching almost twenty meters in length, they carried a massive tri-barreled turret that fired a variety of Hard Light ammunition. It also had four Splinter Anti-Air Defense emplacements mounted on the rear, a collective sixteen heavy machine guns, and the capacity to carry two full platoons of soldiers in the back.

The convoy moved forward with ruthless efficiency, flattening entire companies of droids at a time. A few Marines experienced some minor wounds, but the advance was simply too much for the droids to effectively counter.

After a few minutes of hard advancing towards the 501st Legion's forward operations base, the massive complex came into view. It had massive concrete walls with guard towers strategically placed every 200 meters, a hefty metallic gate, and a relatively massive amount of E-WEB emplacements on the walls. Near the front of the base, however, was a massive concentration of droids. A collective 200 floating CIS tanks, a few thousand droids, and a large concentration of Vulture Droids were focusing a massive volume of fire on the Clone defenders.

The massive Hellcat tank leading the armored convoy let out a massive, earth-shaking barrage from the main cannon. The three incredibly powerful rounds slammed into the center of the droid lines, detonating with enough force to throw CIS tanks aside like ragdolls. The high-explosive round sent a massive number of droids through the air, or simply reduced them to ash on the spot. The Marines rushed out from behind their rolling and floating armored cover, taking up positions on one end of the massive square as Falchion fighters dove down, intending to "boom-n-zoom" the Vulture Droids.

The Clones began returning fire, as their morale was almost instantly restored when they saw massive tanks roll into the square, fire an earth-shattering barrage, and open up enough of a pause in the droid fire to allow six thousand strange soldiers to funnel in from behind the tanks. The battlefield was quickly turned into a brilliant display of blue, red, and golden light, especially whenever one of the tanks fired or took a hit, as the GC tanks were equipped with a Hard-Light shield generator. Streaks of brilliant golden light were sent into the sky as the AA defenses in the GC lines started firing on the surviving Vulture Droids.

The droids, despite putting up surprisingly stiff resistance when faced with such overwhelming power, eventually fell under the combined weight of the Republic-GC forces. The SPARTANs spent almost the entire engagement on the front lines. As the fighting finally died down, the SPARTANs observed their handiwork. Between the four of them, Gamma had reduced almost three hundred B1 droids, one hundred B2s, and fifty Droidekas to scrap metal. GC Marines rushed over to start securing the perimeter of the massive square in the Christophsi Capital city. Marine Corpsmen and Medical Clones alike rushed over to assist any wounded.

XXXXX

After an hour, the four SPARTANs of Fireteam Gamma walked through the fields of wreckage, searching for any remaining droids as Obi-Wan, Anakin, Ahsoka, and two Clone Officers came up to them. One of the officers was clearly Rex, but the other had a golden stripe down the center of his armor. "Generals, Commander." Alice said, saluting the three Jedi.

Obi-Wan waved off the salute. "Your assistance was well-timed, SPARTAN." He said looking around the field. "Well-timed and very effective."

"No kidding." Rex said, looking around. "Wasn't expecting reinforcements like _THAT_ when your Admiral radioed in."

"SPARTAN Alice." Obi-Wan began. "I'd like to discuss a few things with you, since the Council seems to have a new mission for me, and you by extension."

"Of course." Alice said. "Gamma, group up with your Jedi counterpart and prepare to move out. Willow, you're with me for now. We're not done here yet."

"Aye Ma'am!" The SPARTANs responded, giving a salute, which was quickly dismissed. Willow followed behind her CO while Jane and Kathryn followed behind Anakin and Ahsoka.

"Well…" Anakin said, walking back towards the FOB. "We've secured the capitol of the planet, but we still have an entire continent to secure. GC's sending down support constantly, so it shouldn't be too much trouble." Anakin led the way through the large complex, eventually stopping at the set of deployable structures that the GC technicians were working on setting up. Most of them were medical facilities and living quarters. "We're moving out in two days, get some rest everyone."

 **A/N:**

 **Sweet Jesus, I'm sorry that it took so long for me to update this story. I've had the most severe case of Writer's Block Syndrome, which was only perpetuated by Fallout 4 and Halo 5. The fact that I started writing a RWBY/Halo crossover probably didn't help either. I'll do my best to make sure this story is updated far more regularly, even with all of the Wandering, Synth killing, and Halo Multiplayer I'll be doing. Sorry about this chapter being slightly shorter, but I plan for Christophsis to be a world-building arc, so other chapters will be less combat-heavy.**

 **As usual, I appreciate the comments and suggestions, so keep 'em coming.**


	7. Chapter 7: Retaking Christophsis

**Chapter 6: Retaking Christophsis**

Kathryn sat in the rear of a massive Rhino APC, along with Ahsoka, Obi-Wan, Rex, her fireteam of SPARTANs, and a few Marines of various species within the GC. The Jedi and Clones alike were amazed at the combat prowess of the average GC soldier, never mind their technology. When Alice had shared the fact that the GC regularly hollowed out planetoids to make shipyards with Anakin, he nearly dropped his jaw to the floor.

The Republic used the two days of downtime to truly experience the military might of the GC. The one expeditionary fleet that they had deployed to a completely different galaxy was able to punch through an entire planetary blockade with minimal damage suffered to a _single_ ship. The Republic would have needed to sacrifice a fleet to accomplish what the GC did with just a few ships.

The continents of Christophsis were falling like dominos, the sheer number of clones coupled with the elite soldiers of the GC made them an almost unbeatable foe. The GC provided almost all of the air and vehicular support, while the Republic made up a vast majority of the ground forces. GC ODSTs had been dropped into almost every city on Christophsis with a single order, wreak havoc everywhere they went. There were reports coming in from Republic Scouts that entire sections of cities were being secured by metal men leading civilians in open revolt against the droids.

The sheer speed in which the GC accomplished their battlefield objectives was simply stunning. Entire tank battalions were crossing continents in a few days' time, flattening entire armies of Droids in their wake. The relatively short offensive on Christophsis, which was supposed to be an _incredibly_ decisive and close battle, was quickly turning into a landslide victory for the Republic. The Separatists had a single city remaining on the entire planet, a rather small industrially-focused settlement in the middle of a large collection of grasslands. The area itself was beautiful, but Kathryn found the scene even more beautiful when you added in the silhouette of a GC Panther tank, or Hood tank, against the sunset.

The relatively quiet drive was interrupted by the rattling of a Hard Light machine gun, prompting the driver of the APC to shout over his shoulder. "This is where we stop, ladies! You're on foot from here!" At his words, the back panel of the vehicle opened up, allowing the occupants to pile out. The green countryside of Christophsis was scorched by near-constant strike craft strafing runs. There was a relatively small settlement a few hundred meters away from the vehicles, with an incredibly dense screen of AA fire flaring up from the streets. The MGs on the various transport vehicles were lighting up, targeting specific buildings. Thousands of GC Marines and tens of thousands of Clone Troopers moved across the field, their advance occasionally interrupted by a striking artillery round or mortar.

Alice gave the order for the SPARTANs to advance. Willow raised her Binary Rifle, firing the occasional bolt of Hard Light as she sprinted forward. The SPARTANs were able to cover the massive distance in a few moments, followed closely behind by the Jedi. Small squads of droids could be seen moving throughout the city, preparing final defensive measures. Alice sent out the order for the fireteam to split into two teams. Kathryn and Willow went one direction, while Alice and Willow took another. The Jedi stuck with their respective SPARTAN pairs, if they were present.

XXXXX

Alice, Willow, and Kenobi advanced through the western portion of the settlement, cutting through any droids in their path with relative ease. As they advanced through the streets, the Marines finally catching up to them, the droid defenses progressively grew thicker. The SPARTANs were eventually forced to break off from the main GC/Republic forces and continued advancing towards the center of the city.

As Alice walked through a small street, her rifle kept at a low-ready, she heard the familiar noise of a lightsaber's thrumming. Upon realizing that it was steadily growing closer, and unmistakably destined for her, she ducked to the ground, just in time for a red blur to pass by her head. Once the blur passed back over, she righted herself, finding Kenobi and Willow to be pointing their weapons further down the street. She looked, noticing a tall, lanky woman with grey skin and no hair. She wore strange black and purple garb and carried a pair of curved red lightsabers. "Ventress." Kenobi stated as Alice raised her rifle.

"Kenobi…" Ventress said, strutting forward. "You've made some interesting friends. I'm not sure I approve."

"Well, my apologies, my sweet..." Kenobi said, sarcastically.

"Don't you have another galaxy to be forcing your dogma on?" Ventress asked, looking towards the ranking SPARTAN.

Alice's grip tensed on her rifle as her stance shifted completely. She went from a purely defensive stance to a very offensive stance. She jammed down on the trigger for her Light Rifle, sending a pair of Hard Light bolts in the direction of Ventress.

Ventress snarled and moved to block the shots, but was rather surprised to find these… golden blasters carried kinetic energy behind them. She was pushed back slightly by the force of the shots, but she quickly charged forward, moving to deflect the incoming shots rather than simply block them. She closed the distance between her and the SPARTAN in a flash, attempting to slash her across the chest with her sabers. The SPARTAN slid back, assisted by micro-thrusters in her armor, and threw her Light Rifle into Slipspace. She ignited a blade of hardened light on her wrist, pulling a Bolt Pistol out from the Void.

Ventress attempted to jump upwards and bring her sabers down on the SPARTAN, but found herself engaged by Kenobi and Willow. As she attempted to jump upwards, Kenobi charged in, rearing back an attack. Willow simply shoulder-checked Ventress, the massive suit of armor knocking her back a few feet.

Ventress reached out through the force, locking Willow and Alice in a choke. Both SPARTANs, in surprise, reached up to their necks and attempted to free their windpipe. Ventress made the fatal mistake of charging forward as the SPARTANs were otherwise preoccupied. Kenobi intercepted her mid-charge, forcing her to break her concentration on the choking SPARTANs. The two super-soldiers, having the pressure relieved from their throats, stumbled forward slightly, recovering almost instantly. Alice charged forward, forcing her Hard Light Blade against Ventress' lightsabers. The sheer strength of the SPARTAN brought a feeling of terror to Ventress, since it was quite obvious that these soldiers were not Force-sensitive.

Ventress attempted to rear back her second lightsaber to strike at Alice's side. As she brought the blade forward, Alice used her spare hand to fire a quick bolt of Hard Light into Ventress' wrist. Using the short pause in the attack, Alice kicked Ventress in the femur, ducking out of the way of the first lightsaber's downswing, and wrenched her second hand backwards, forcing the lightsaber from Ventress' hand.

Ventress, in blind rage, threw her hand out, sending out an incredibly powerful Force Push. The attack threw Alice and Willow back, but Kenobi was able to stand his ground thanks to his Force-sensitivity. Ventress let out a high-pitched, ear-piercing wail that she projected and enhanced through the Force, causing Kenobi's concentration to break. Ventress used the opening to propel herself away through the Force, disappearing into the rather dense downtown area of the city.

Alice slowly stood, shaking her head. "What the hell was that?" She asked.

"Asajj Ventress." Kenobi responded. "She's a Sith."

"Sith?" Alice asked.

"The opposite of the Jedi." Kenobi said, his demeanor oddly calm given the circumstances. "They harness their emotions in combat, use them to empower themselves. They prey on the weak."

"Well, I have her thing now." Alice said, holding up her captured lightsaber.

"Very impressive." Kenobi commented. "I see no reason why you couldn't keep it."

"Alright…" Alice said, pulling a small object out through Slipspace. She connected a small object to the base of the lightsaber, which lit up in gold for a moment. She lazily tossed the lightsaber with the object attached to it into Slipspace. "Let's keep moving, maybe we can finish that Sith off."

XXXXX

Kathryn walked down a thin boulevard in a Christophsi city, Ahsoka and Jane alongside her. The defenses were much weaker on their side of the settlement, so the Marines and Clones had already caught up to them. The Marines had overtaken the SPARTANs and Padawan, moving to clear out the enemies ahead. Kathryn walked at a rather leisurely pace, her weapon at a low-ready.

"These droids are _literally_ just walking scrap metal at this point." Jane commented, firing a quick bolt from her pistol into an ambushing B2 droid, splintering its front plating and sending it to the ground.

"To be fair…" Ahsoka began, throwing a Force Push towards an advancing B1 droid, knocking it over. "They're kinda threatening in large groups."

"Luckily, we have the Panther for that." Kathryn said, gesturing to the medium-weight tank behind them.

"Halt the advance!" The Battalion Commander shouted from the top of his command vehicle, which was a very menacing looking Hood VI tank. "The CIS just surrendered."

XXXXX

Alice tossed an EMP grenade through a window, leaping in after the crackling of energy died down. The other pane of glass on the other side of the small room shattered as Willow crashed through, her Hard Light Scattergun primed. Sixteen B2 Battle Droids lay on the floor, sparking from any joints as they lay deactivated. A single Nemoidian stood, his hands in the air as the two SPARTANs walked over, their weapons trained on him. "I surrender!" He shouted.

Kenobi jumped through the window behind Alice, eyeing the destruction as he kept his hand over his Lightsaber. "Should you give the general shutdown order, any further bloodshed could be avoided." Kenobi calmly stated. "You've already lost, it's best for you to simply accept it."

"Fine…" The Nemoidian said, staring towards the two SPARTANs. "May I use the terminal to give the order?"

XXXXX

Lasky stood at the helm of _Infinity_ , smiling broadly as the bridge crew broke into cheers. Christophsis had been liberated, and the GC stood victorious. He accepted the holographic call from Mace Windu's Venator, which joined the orbital defense the previous day. "Admiral Lasky, I just received word that the CIS has formally surrendered to GC and Republic forces here on Christophsis."

"I just got word too." Lasky affirmed. "I'll have the fleet begin dispatching engineering crews to begin repairs of local infrastructure."

"You have logistics vessels in your fleet?" Windu asked. "I thought it was all scientific and escort vessels…"

"The GC First Fleet will be arriving in a few days." Lasky explained. "They'll be the first wave of reinforcements."

"How many will we have?" Windu asked.

"Around fifty vessels, one million Marines, and all of their equipment and vehicles." Lasky explained.

"That could easily turn the tide of a few battles." Windu commented.

"Indeed it could, hence why they sent it." Lasky deadpanned. "I'll start sending dropships to retrieve my men, and return to Coruscant until the fleet arrives."

"Understood. The Republic can hold Christophsis for now. Thank you, Admiral." Windu said, cutting the communication.

"Send out the Pelicans, bring 'em home!" Lasky ordered.

XXXXX

Kathryn stepped off of the transport Pelican, back onto _Infinity_. Ahsoka, Anakin, Obi-Wan and Fireteam Omega. They were greeted by a man in a gray uniform, short black hair on his head, and a Bolt Pistol at his hip. He had a small smile on his lips as he stepped forward. "Excellent work, Omega. The four of you have yet to disappoint me."

"Thank you, sir!" Alice said, saluting.

"Who is that?" Ahsoka asked quietly.

"That's Lasky." Kathryn explained.

"I thought he was one of those giant Promethean things."

Lasky chuckled. "GC High Command decided that having an eight foot tall android represent Humanity to the Republic wasn't the brightest idea, so they cleared me to get a synthetic body. This is what I looked like before I got composed. So now… I look like I'm 1000 going on 34." Lasky shrugged. "But enough about that, congratulations… all of you."

"Thank you, sir." Alice said, again. "Do we have another mission lined up?"

"Not right now." Lasky explained. "HIGHCOM wants to wait until the Fleet arrives. But… there is one thing. You guys might hate me for this…"

"What is it?" Anakin asked. "Is something wrong?"

"No… It's just… Command wants a team of SPARTANs to attend the opening of the GC's Embassy on Coruscant. There's a small… gathering in the embassy itself."

"They want the SPARTANs there for security?" Ahsoka asked. "Coruscant is one of the safest worlds in the Republic."

"They want Omega there for PR reasons." At Lasky's words, all four SPARTANs let out an audible groan. "I know… I'm sorry, but it looks like you guys are playing with the politicians in a few days."


	8. Chapter 7: A New Age

**Chapter 7: A New Age**

To say that Kathryn was uncomfortable would be the understatement of the millennium. She was a SPARTAN, she had a certain disdain for dress uniforms. Sadly, due to the nature of her current location, it wasn't her decision to wear it. The GC Embassy on Coruscant was completed within a few days, and was now the site of a small gathering of diplomats and military officials as a gesture of good faith to the Republic, and Fireteam Gamma was attending, thanks to their instrumental role in making first contact.

People of all species were standing about the Embassy's main hall, with the GC personnel standing out like sore thumbs amidst the Andromeda natives. Many of the natives wore a set of formal robes, while the GC favored more simplistic clothing, mostly in a silver or grey color.

The small hum of casual conversation reverberated throughout the Forerunner Alloy building, giving the room a sense of liveliness. A few GC diplomats casually conversed with Senators, and a few GC Marines were standing guard at the entrances, their armor almost blending in with the silverite walls.

Kathryn had decided to wallflower this one, hoping to avoid unnecessary conversation with diplomats. Sadly, it would appear that some of the locals had other ideas. Within an hour, she was bombarded with questions about GC technology, the Milky Way, the SPARTANs, and even a few requests to dance. Thankfully, with the exception of a select few questions, she was able to respond with a simple word. "Classified."

The only welcome interaction came from her Fireteam, who seemed to quickly tire of walking around an embassy with little to do other than play politics. After a few minutes of casual, friendly conversation between the SPARTAN Fireteam, they found themselves joined by a trio of Jedi, being Anakin, Obi-Wan, and Ahsoka. "Enjoying the company of the politicians?" Obi-Wan asked, a small smirk on his face.

"Absolutely…" Alice deadpanned in response. "I so enjoy having the same questions asked of me every two minutes. Reminds me of why I joined the military."

"They're just curious." Anakin dismissed. "You did kinda show up with technology and ships that completely outclass most of what we have."

Alice shrugged. "I mean… that _Malevolence_ ship I've heard your men talking about seemed like it would be able to do some damage."

"It was one of a kind, nothing else like it." Obi-Wan nodded. "I'm just glad that it's gone."

"Your galaxy is quite strange." Willow commented. "There's so much life here, hundreds and hundreds of spacefaring species, all managing to live in peace… for the most part. The Milky Way isn't anywhere near as diverse. There's only eight spacefaring species in the Milky Way, with a few non-spacefaring species that are under our watch."

"Under your watch?" Ahsoka asked.

"We just have surveillance equipment in their systems to monitor them. We only ever intervene when there's a major threat to their existence, like a planetary extinction event or a global nuclear war." Alice responded, nodding.

"Does that happen often?" Anakin asked.

"We've only ever intervened twice. We prevented one asteroid impact, and made actual first contact to help a species recover from a nuclear war. The first species was barely in their industrial age, while the second had just entered the atomic age." Alice explained.

"Is that a part of your Mantle?" Anakin asked.

"Indeed." Alice said, giving a nod. "The Mantle stands true for all life, sentient or otherwise. That's why our soldiers fight as we do, our military intervenes as it does, and our society functions like it does. It's all in the name of preserving life and ensuring the protection of those unable to protect themselves."

"Reminds me of the Jedi Code." Ahsoka said, smiling.

"It's similar in a few ways." Alice admitted. "It's changed quite drastically over the millennia, so our definition of the Mantle is quite different than the definition of the last Bearer Species, the Forerunners."

"What was their definition?" Anakin asked.

"Preservation of peace through force." Alice explained, not doing much to hide her personal distaste. "You either followed the Mantle, or the Forerunners reduced your species to the Stone Age. Humanity was one of the many victims of their practices."

"Wait… how long ago was this?" Anakin asked, not understanding.

"Humanity waged a war against the Forerunners some 160,000 years ago, a war which we narrowly lost. In response, the Forerunners devolved us as a species, reduced us to Tier 7 Civilization, and monitored us. Our resurgence came about after the Forerunners were wiped out."

"What could wipe out a species like that?" Ahsoka asked. "It sounds like they dominated your galaxy."

"They did… and something far worse than you have ever encountered was responsible for wiping out the Forerunners. It is a threat that could still be present, but we have learned to fight it."

"What is it?" Anakin asked, his attention caught.

"Are we cleared to share something like this?" Kathryn asked, looking to her CO.

"It's common knowledge throughout the GC, it's bound to come about eventually." Alice explained, shrugging. "This threat is a parasitic organism known as The Flood. A collective hivemind, hell-bent on consuming all life of sufficient biomass."

"How… How do you fight something like that?" Ahsoka wondered.

"Making sacrifices." Alice responded. "An entire continent of the Human Homeworld was quarantined for nearly 50 years after a small outbreak occurred. We were forced to destroy an entire system to prevent the spread of the Infection. Standard procedure for Flood-Infested worlds is complete orbital bombardment."

"That sounds… rather terrifying." Kenobi admitted.

"A single Flood Spore can destroy a species. For every soldier you lose, the Flood gains one. The dead are reanimated to serve the Gravemind, locked within the torturous confines of their mind, aware of the horrors they inflict with no means to stop themselves. They are the single greatest threat to life in the known universe, hence why the GC is devoted to snuffing the Parasite out."

"No arguments from me." Anakin said, feeling a slight chill run up his spine from the SPARTAN's description of the Parasite.

"Can we switch topics to something a bit more… I don't know, cheerful?" Jane asked, doing very little to mask her snarky tone.

"This embassy building is rather impressive." Obi-Wan commented, earning a small smile from Kathryn. It was true, the fact that a several hundred story tall building was constructed in under two weeks was impressive, as was the aesthetic design of the structure, but the attempt at awkward small talk almost made the SPARTAN laugh.

"On a related note, is there anywhere we're needed?" Alice asked, looking to the Generals.

"It all seems quiet right now. The Separatists are holding their ground." Anakin responded. "When's your fleet arriving, by the way?"

"They'll be arriving in a few hours." Alice responded. "They'll link up with _Infinity_ and the expeditionary fleet over Coruscant and work from there."

The small gathering continued well into the night, Kathryn's idea of wallflowering it quickly giving way to a rather enjoyable experience with the SPARTANs and the Jedi. Most of the time was spent in casual conversation, friendly banter, and the occasional bit of information exchanged. Palpatine himself attended a bit later, being caught up in a Senate hearing, but almost immediately made his way over to Lasky to have a discussion with him.

Much to Kathryn's surprise, the Chancellor made his way over to the small collection of Jedi and SPARTANs after a conversation with Lasky. "Ah, the SPARTANs that Admiral Lasky has spoken so highly of. It is an honor to finally make your acquaintance." The Chancellor gave a genuine smile and a slight, yet still formal, bow.

The SPARTANs returned the gesture. "A pleasure to meet you as well, Chancellor Palpatine." Alice responded.

"I cannot thank you enough for your heroism on that backwater garden world." Palpatine said, smiling. "I have you to thank for saving Masters Kenobi and Skywalker, and for that, I am eternally grateful."

"I have no doubt they would have done the same." Alice said, giving a small smirk to the Jedi.

"Of course, but heroism should be celebrated wherever it can be found. From what I understand, there's no shortage of it in the GC's SPARTAN Program." Palpatine said, giving the SPARTAN an appreciative smile. "Now that your fleet has arrived, we can begin working to end this war."

All of the SPARTANs were updated by their Neural Lance once the GC's Battlegroup jumped into the system. The fleet was nothing short of stunning. It featured 15 Singularity-Class Cruisers, 25 Constellation-Class Light Cruisers, 10 Nebula-Class Battlecruisers, 30 Orion-Class Frigates, 2 Pulsar-Class Carriers, 2 Unity-Class Dreadnoughts, 1 Infinity-Class Dreadnought, and 6 Prowlers. The sight in orbit was one to behold, with the massive dreadnoughts completely dwarfing the Republic vessels, with the Unity-Class coming in at 15 kilometers. The Constellation-Class was a bit more in-line with Andromeda ship sizes, only coming in at 1200 meters. The Orion-Class Frigates were small even by Republic standards, coming in at 400 meters in length. The carriers were certainly an interesting sight, coming in at 9 kilometers and almost completely unarmed with the exception of close-in weapons systems. Each one carried a veritable swarm of strike fighters. The GC fleet was hilariously small numerically-speaking when compared to the Republic fleet, but they had the advantage of sheer size and firepower.

"This fleet can certainly turn the tide of a few battles." Kenobi said, nodding. "Is there anywhere in specific we plan on hitting next?"

"I'm discussing with Admiral Lasky, we should have a rough plan for the fleets drafted up by tomorrow." Palatine said. "Until then, the best option is to gather our strength."

"A sound strategy." Obi-Wan agreed.

"There is one thing that's come up, however." Palpatine said, catching everyone's attention. "It's a matter that doesn't require a fleet, but a bit more… finesse. Finesse like the Jedi and SPARTANs are quite capable of."

"What do you have in mind?" Alice asked.

"Recently, Senator Amidala has returned to Naboo due to a few droids being spotted in the moon's plains." Palpatine explained, earning a concerned look from Anakin. "Apparently, there is a risk of a Separatist invasion of Naboo… along with a slightly more… sinister threat."

"Sinister?" Obi-Wan asked.

"According to a captured Tactical Droid, there is a Separatist laboratory on the moon of Naboo… something about a virus, but that was all they could retrieve from the droid's memory."

"Bioengineering a virus?" Alice asked, disgust seeping through her words. "Does Admiral Lasky know about this?"

"He does, and I am hoping that the four of you could join the Jedi to the moon tomorrow." Palpatine explained. "Senator Amidala has personally requested General Skywalker and General Kenobi, due to rather strained relations with the Gungan."

"We'd be glad to assist." Alice said, nodding.

"Excellent, I'll have the Naboo Defense Force notified that you'll be arriving." Palpatine said. "I pray that this is merely a Separatist distraction, but we cannot be too careful."

"Agreed." Alice responded, nodding. "We'll get this done."

XXXXX

The skyline of Coruscant was beautiful, dotted with passing speeders and cargo carriers. The incandescent walls of skyscrapers covered the skyline of the upper levels, giving the planet a ghastly appearance. Through the thinner upper atmosphere of Coruscant, the GC's fleet could be vaguely seen as small flecks of light against the cosmic backdrop. It was humbling.

Kathryn sighed as she leaned against the small metal rail of the lonely balcony on the side of the Embassy, watching the night life pass beneath her. Were it not for her numerous genetic augments, she would've been so lost in thought that the footsteps behind her would've gone unnoticed. "Tired of the party?" Ahsoka asked, walking over.

"Not really my thing." Kathryn responded, shrugging.

"Same… Skyguy's the one who likes spending time with the politicians." Ahsoka asked, surprised to hear Kathryn's laugh. "What?"

"I'm sorry. But… Skyguy?" Kathryn asked, giving a wry smile.

Ahsoka shrugged, offering a smile. "A little nickname I gave him when I was first assigned to him last year."

"I like it." Kathryn responded, the smile still on her face.

Ahsoka leaned against the railing next to the SPARTAN, who well and truly towered over the Togrutan. They stood in amicable silence for a few minutes, Ahsoka finally speaking up again. "What's it like?"

"Hmm?"

"What's your galaxy like?" Ahsoka asked, a bit of excitement making its way into her tone. "You're from a completely different galaxy! I didn't think I'd ever see anything like this!"

Kathryn smiled. "Well… it's peaceful. There hasn't been a major war in the Milky Way since the founding of the GC, five hundred years ago. Life is… well, easy. It's almost utopian, actually."

"It must be weird, coming here and seeing a divided galaxy." Ahsoka lamented.

"Not really…" Kathryn shrugged. "The Old Wars are hardly forgotten, many people still remember what happened when our galaxy's races were at each other's' throats. Helps remind us of what we can accomplish when we work together."

"I wish more people shared your ideas…" Ahsoka commented, sighing.

"As do I…" Kathryn agreed, letting the balcony fall into another pleasant bout of silence.

XXXXX

President Lockhart sat behind her desk, overlooking one of the New Ark's six arms. The view of innately human landscape, covered in thin forests and rolling rivers, brought a strange feeling of nostalgia, a feeling that was all-too-familiar to the Earth native. The Human cradle world had changed so greatly. Almost all 'wildlife' existed in preserves, with its natural resources almost completely tapped dry. The arms of the Ark reminded her of her origins, how the GC that she presided over had come to be, and what they were fighting to preserve. Life.

She closed down the Hard-Light display that she was tapping her fingers against, typing up another response to _another_ report from Andromeda. The fleet had arrived, diplomacy had begun, and the Clone Wars had officially seen its newest entry. The more information she read about this galaxy, the more wary she became.

Lockhart ran a hand through her ivory hair, letting out a tired sigh as another message popped up on her display, brute-forcing its way through her system's hibernation setting. She tapped it twice, already knowing who the sender was.

 _President Lockhart,_

 _With the arrival of the GC Fleet in Andromeda, we are fully prepared to mount our first major offensive against the Confederacy of Independent Systems. I am currently discussing plans with Chancellor Palpatine, with the current situation appearing to point towards the liberation of a homeworld known as Ryloth, homeworld of the Twi'leks._

 _Strangely enough, this world is not the thriving utopia that a homeworld should be, rather it is an impoverished, backwater world with very little in the way of technological amenities. The people live in dirt huts outside of the cities, and much of the economy remains focused on agriculture._

 _Many of the Twi'leks flee this backwater world by any means they can feasibly accomplish. Many sell themselves into slavery and indentured servitude, many sign contracts with brothels on the Civilized Worlds, and many become mercenaries. Much to my disdain, slavery remains a very real issue in this galaxy, despite the Republic's best attempts to curb it. The outer rim of this galaxy is controlled by roving cartels of drug-running scum known as the Hutts. Worlds under their control openly practice slavery, and exist in a perpetual state of anarchy, held together by the nuclear family bond and warlords like the Hutts._

 _Pirates plague this galaxy, plagues are being manufactured, forces that I can only describe as otherworldly and unnatural are utilized by galactic peacekeepers, and billions are caught in the crossfires of war. It is for these reasons, that I reassert my request to manufacture an Ark on the edge of Andromeda._

 _Please consider my request,_

 _Admiral Thomas J. Lasky_

 **A/N:**

 **Okay… I fucked up. I haven't updated this in over 3 months, and for that, I am so sorry. More and more ideas for Humanity's Rebirth and Roses Born of Dust keep flooding into my head, and I just kinda have to write them.**

 **This will be one of the last arcs from the Clone Wars show that happens somewhat similarly to Star Wars canon. These two arcs, being Christophsis and Naboo, will serve as the foundation for how the GC thinks of Andromeda, so stay tuned.**


	9. Chapter 8: Naboo

**Chapter 8: Naboo**

The edge of the Andromeda galaxy was silent, as dark space tends to be. From numerous small rifts in the very fabric of space, dozens of GC vessels slipped back into real-space. Unlike the other fleets that have recently come to Andromeda, this fleet was not meant for science, or war. It was meant to build.

The Seed Fleet began arranging itself, its central vessel stretching an impressive 50 kilometers. Over the course of several hours, it began laying down foundries for Sentinel drones. All of the vessels began laying the foundation for the massive "dry dock" that would provide a foundation for the largest Ark ever built. It was a central Halo ring, 5,000 kilometers in diameter. A flurry of construction drones set to work, Hard Light assembly arrays being used to fuse the Forerunner Alloy together to form the scaffolding.

Large vessels began breaking off from the formation, slipping back into the void. Planning was essential, they arrived over the gravity wells of gas giants, all of them harboring the essential gases for World Building procedures. These specialized ships began practically swallowing the gas giants whole, their enriched guts finding a home in the storage that the Domain offered. These valuable planets were scanned intently, ensuring that they were well out of the way from civilized space.

As gas giants found themselves swallowed by the Singularity Cores of the disposable vessels, they were transported back to the Andromeda Ark's building site. The few days that passed allowed for the central Halo's scaffolding to be complete, the blue underglow of GC technology pulsing through its metallic superstructure. The five World Builder vessels began converging on the central scaffolding, orienting their forked bows towards the center.

As the vessels approached, their bow began to glow with an iridescent blue light, which was mirrored in the center of the Halo ring. The central point of manipulated gravity began gathering the exotic metals, gases, and compounds that were gathered by the World Builders, allowing the Sentinels to begin gathering the materials for transport to the now-constructing Ark Scaffolding.

The first week was filled by the construction of the Ark's power array, an artificial star, not unlike Sol, that would mold the raw matter brought to it by the World Builders into the Ark. The eight arms of the Ark would be built two at a time, with six of them designed to mirror the native habitat of the GC species. One would be tailored to Humans, one to Sangheili, one to Unggoy, one to Kig-Yar, one to the Lekgolo, and one to the Jiralhane. The final two arms would not be built to harbor a species in its natural habitat, but they would have purpose. One would serve as the GC's shipyard and port in Andromeda, allowing for ships to be built, rearmed, refueled, and repaired. The final arm would harbor embassies, companies, trading hubs, and outreach facilities. Each arm of the Ark would cover the same area as Earth, with variations on its terrain, climate, and ecosystem to better suit the resident species. The Ark would not only be a base for GC military operations, it would be a home for the people of the Coalition.

The Ark began reaching out towards the stars, built by the Sentinels and guarded by the Seed Fleet. The Ark's year-long construction had begun.

XXXXX

Two LAAT gunships were directed into the hanger bay on the outskirts of Naboo's capital building, setting down in the designated area for Republic transports. The airtight doors on the side of the transport opened up, allowing Obi-Wan, Ahsoka, and Anakin to step onto the planet's surface. SPARTAN Team Gamma followed behind, wearing their black Gel-Layered bodysuits. Greeting them at the landing pad was the Queen of Naboo, Captain Typho of the Naboo Guard, a golden humanoid droid, and a strange-looking humanoid that appeared amphibian in nature, wearing some form of hat and coverings, and carrying a walking staff of some kind. The SPARTANs recognized her as a Gungan, one of the two natives to Naboo.

As the seven occupants of the dropship stepped onto the hanger bay's floor, the Queen let a smile cross her face as she spoke up. "General Kenobi, General Skywalker, thank you for coming."

"Of course, your highness." Obi-Wan said, ignoring Anakin's nervous look.

"I see you brought some friends from the Galactic Coalition." The Queen added, giving the SPARTANs a nod. "It is an honor to have you here."

"Of course, ma'am." Alice responded, giving a polite half-bow.

"Where's Padme?" Anakin asked, his outburst earning a wince from Kenobi.

"She went to look for the lab." Typho responded, causing Anakin's eyes to go wide.

"And you let her go?" Anakin asked.

"Senator Padme can be very difficult to stop when she has made up her mind." The golden droid said, moving in a very robotic and inorganic way.

"I know what you mean…" Anakin said, sighing.

"This is Peppi Bow, she was the last person to see them." Typho said, gesturing to the Gungan.

"Theysa lookin' for the sick-maker." Peppi said, her accented speech being found highly grating and irritating by the SPARTANs, but they didn't let it show.

"They?" Alice asked.

"Representative Binks was with her." The Queen said.

"Why didn't you send someone to look for them?" Anakin asked, looking to Typho.

"Given the latest developments, we thought it best to wait for you."

"These latest developments being…?" Obi-Wan asked.

"Come, it would be better to discuss this in the Command Room." The Queen said, motioning for everyone to follow.

The Queen and Typho led the way through the halls of Naboo's Palace, decorated in a sparse tan-brown color scheme. The ornate decorations lining the walls were certainly indicative of royalty, but also had a sense of humility to them. It certainly showed that this was one of the wealthiest planets in the entire Republic.

After a few minutes of walking through the winding halls of the Palace, they entered a small circular room, lined on the walls by computer terminals, with a central holographic projection table in the center. On the table, rested the head of a B-1 Battle Droid, with wires running from the back of its head to small ports on the side of the table. The Queen directed everyone to stand around the central table, pressing a few buttons on the side as she spoke. "We did a complete scan of the Battle Droid's memories and managed to recover some of them. We managed to uncover this on in particular."

As she finished speaking, a hologram of a tall, lanky, blue humanoid alien morphed into being on the table. It wore a white labcoat of some kind, had slanted eyes, and a very elongated and thin neck and head. "Who is that?" Kenobi asked.

"Doctor Nuvo Vindi, senior medic for the Perma Families." The Queen answered. "He disappeared without a trace just over ten years ago."

As the Queen noticed the room had fallen into an expectant silence, she began playing back the memory of the Doctor. It appeared to be him speaking through a communicator, with whoever was on the other side remaining out of the projection. "Yes, I do believe we finally have enough of the Blue Shadow Virus to start filling the bombs."

"He said bombs…" The golden droid, C-3P0, said, earning a bleep from R2-D2.

The SPARTANs were visibly uncomfortable, with a look of absolute disgust across Alice's face. The hologram continued speaking after a slight pause, presumably due to Vindi listening to whoever was on the other end. "Yes, we should only need to send one bomb to each key star system, and galactic trade should take care of the rest." At that, the hologram faded out, leaving a darkened projection table.

Obi-Wan was the first to speak up, as the SPARTANs were too busy fuming. "If those bombs get delivered, we'll be facing a galaxy-wide plague. This war will be the least of our concerns."

"Your highness…" Alice began, catching the Queen's attention. "What exactly is the Blue Shadow Virus?"

"It's a virus that is incredibly deadly, most only surviving forty-eight hours after contracting it." The Queen explained. "It causes incredible amounts of blood thinning and deoxidization, turning the victim blue, hence the name. It was eradicated centuries ago, but it would appear that he has managed to create an airborne strain."

Through clenched teeth, Alice continued her questioning. "How can you know that it's airborne?"

"He mentioned that they would be put in bombs and delivered to key star systems." Typho said. "That would only work with an airborne strain, as the original strain of the virus only existed in water."

"Absolutely sickening…" Alice said, her face having gone from the normal, stoic expression that most SPARTANs wore, to a very uncomfortable and downright angry-looking one.

"There is some good news, however." Typho continued. "Senator Amidala found the lab, and managed to send us coordinates before she vanished. We managed to take a deep-scan of the area, and we have a rough projection of what the lab looks like." As Typho spoke, he pressed a few buttons, allowing a holographic projection of the underground facility to appear.

"It's enormous…" Obi-Wan said, looking to the hologram.

It certainly was. It seemed to reach at least a full kilometer below the planet's surface, with numerous branching halls. "We managed to identify the three entry points." As Typho continued, the three rooms closest to the surface were highlighted. "As well as the main lab." The central room, to which six others connected, was highlighted in red as well.

"And the bombs?" Alice asked.

"There is a high amount of radiation coming from this room here." A room near the deepest point was highlighted. "It's the most likely place."

Anakin sighed. "We can't just go in there, guns blazing. If Padme's in there, she could be killed."

"It's a risk we might have to take." Kenobi responded. "Vindi and those bombs cannot leave this planet."

"What if one goes off during the attack?" Ahsoka asked.

"It's better to have one planet infected than the entire galaxy…" Obi-Wan said.

Anakin sighed again, looking to Ahsoka. "Ahsoka, go with the Gungan and scout out the area."

"Kathryn, you're going too." Alice said, addressing the team's combat lifesaver. "We'll notify FLEETCOM and the Republic and get some reinforcements."

"Yes, ma'am." Kathryn said, nodding.

XXXXX

Kathryn and Ahsoka followed behind the Gungan as they trekked through the marshes of Naboo, heading towards a central swamp. The air was humid and hot, making the air feel unnaturally heavy. As they entered the large, central swamp, a strangely shaped ship came into view. "That's the ship belonging to them." The Gungan said, pointing to the ship as she walked past.

As they walked deeper into the swamp, Peppi found herself elevated slightly, and everyone noticed a quiet robotic whirring. Kathryn and Ahsoka both looked down, finding Peppi to be standing atop a small camera, which had popped out of the ground.

"Peppi, don't move!" Ahsoka said, motioning for Kathryn to keep out of the camera's sight line. "It's a scope…"

Kathryn called her armor into real-space as she walked in the scope's blind spot, scanning her surroundings to ensure that no others were watching the area. Once her armor was fully assembled, she activated her Active Camouflage module, fading out of sight and ducking behind the root of a massive tree. After a moment, Ahsoka pushed Peppi behind the same root through the force, and jumped behind it herself.

They watched as the scope scanned the area for another few moments, then slid back underground. As the swamp descended into an eerie silence, Ahsoka and Kathryn both let out a sigh of relief. "Too close..." Kathryn muttered, pushing her helmet back into Slipspace.

"No kidding…" Ahsoka said, pressing a small button on her wrist's armored plate. "Master, are you there?" She asked.

"Ahsoka?" Came Anakin's voice over the communicator. "Did you find Padme?"

"No… we found their ship though." Ahsoka explained. "She's probably inside the lab, but the whole place is wired with pressure sensors and scopes."

"Is the area around the lab secure?" Anakin asked.

"Yes, it's all quiet out here." Ahsoka responded.

"Good, I need you to detonate a Thermal Detonator over the southern end of the facility, cause a distraction." Obi-Wan said. "We'll give you the signal when we arrive."

"Yes, Master." Ahsoka said, nodding. Anakin cut the communication from his end.

Kathryn pulled her Light Rifle into real space, along with her helmet. She scanned the area through her rifle's scope, spotting the area that Kenobi asked Ahsoka to drop the detonator on. A small plate of metal was visible, covered by a thin layer of dirt.

After a few minutes, Ahsoka received a small ping on her communicator, being the signal that Kenobi referenced. She pulled a small, spherical grenade from her belt and reached out through the Force. She pushed it towards the slab of metal in the ground. As the grenade reached the air just above the metal, Ahsoka brought her hand down in a quick motion, causing the explosive to slam into the metal and detonate.

The compound not unlike Thermite began burning through the metal, metal and chemical vapors being visible from the point of impact. A mere moment later, a trio of LAAT gunships flew overhead, one settling a few meters above the hole that Ahsoka's grenade had created in the ground. The other two settled over two other points, each of them dropping similar explosives to the ground.

From the nearest LAAT, six rappel wires descended from the sides, allowing the blue-accented clones of the 501st Legion to start their descent into the facility. Ahsoka and Kathryn stood up, Ahsoka motioning for Peppi to stay behind. The two bolted towards the entrance in the ground, Ahsoka jumping in, followed closely by her SPARTAN partner.

When Kathryn and Ahsoka landed, just a few moments behind six 501st Clones, they were in the middle of a firefight between the Clones and numerous B-2 and B-1 Droids. Ahsoka quickly bolted off towards a concentration of droids, slashing through them in an impressive display of finesse and agility. Kathryn stood her ground, relying on her armor's energy shielding to protect her from the stray blaster bolts that inevitably found their way to her. She simply fired into the advancing droids, covering Ahsoka as she darted through the lumbering machines.

The Clones and their Jedi/SPARTAN support were able to advance after a few moments of firing. Kathryn motioned with her hand, signaling the Clones to move up. Behind her, six more 501st Clones descended the wires, and they fell in behind her.

Kathryn propelled herself forward, assisted by her armor's internal systems. She quickly caught up with Ahsoka, her lightsaber blocking a few blaster bolts from a group of advancing B-2 droids. Kathryn ignited the Hard Light projector on her wrist, causing a blue shield to materialize before her. The hail of automatic blaster fire bounced off of her shield, but its integrity was surprisingly being whittled away rather quickly. She leveled her Light Rifle over the top of the shield, firing into the droids as they lumbered around.

The advance of the Clones, Padawan, and SPARTAN was halted as three Droidekas rolled around the corner, unfurling into their quadrupedal form and firing their blasters at the advancing Republic/GC forces. The small, rapid strikes against Kathryn's projected Hard Light shield caused it to be quickly whittled away, earning a muttered curse from the SPARTAN. She allowed her Light Rifle to clatter to the floor as she reached over with her spare hand to grab a Splinter Grenade from the Void, tossing it towards the Droidekas.

The small silverite grenade landed between the two front droids, going off a moment later. Nanoscopic particles accelerated to an ionized state began to flutter around the area, tearing into the Droidekas shields. Despite the droid's best attempts, they could not back up quick enough to escape the grenade's last, devastating effect. The particles were all pulled towards the point of detonation at light speed, hypercompressing the droids and crushing them under their own acceleration towards the grenade's core.

A moment later, a small explosion rocked the ground just behind the third and final Droideka, the sheer force sending it into several pieces as its shielding failed. Behind the wreckage came General Kenobi and six EOD Troopers of the 212th. "Need some help?" Kenobi asked, quickly dashing his saber through the torso of a B-1 droid that was attempting to crawl away.

"We had it handled." Ahsoka said, giving the elder Jedi a small smile.

"How're things on your end?" Kathryn asked, looking to Kenobi.

"Going well." Obi-Wan responded, checking his wrist-mounted communicator. "The lab's secured, and Anakin should've reached Padme by now." Obi-Wan looked to his troopers. "Alright, we'll take care of the bombs."

"We'll keep the droids off your backs." Ahsoka said, accented by the distant sound of blaster fire, with the occasional Hard Light weapon mixed in.

With that, Kenobi took off towards the bomb room, while Ahsoka and Kathryn remained in the main junction, digging in and keeping the droids occupied. The sheer number of droids in the facility was rather impressive, given that they never seemed to stop shambling towards the dug-in SPARTAN, Padawan, and Clone Troopers. The slower, clunkier droids were easily dispatched by the elite SPARTAN, Force-sensitive Padawan, and defending clones.

After Kathryn fired a quick bolt of Hard Light through the torso of a B-2 Battle Droid, she heard the general communications channel light up. " _Anakin, I'm guessing you didn't capture the doctor?_ " Obi-Wan asked, concern in his voice.

" _I'm working on it!_ " Anakin responded. " _What about the bombs?_ "

" _I'm working on it._ " Obi-Wan replied, sarcastically. " _Vindi has remotely activated the bombs, and they're counting down! And just to make this more difficult, one of them seems to be missing!"_

" _Oh, that's great!_ " Anakin complained. " _Ahsoka, we have another situation. Send all of the clones to search the facility!_ " Just as Anakin spoke, he rounded the corner, the collection of 501st Clones following behind. He ran straight into the defending SPARTAN, Padawan, and clones. He spoke directly to the SPARTAN and Padawan, deactivating his communicator. "We've got a missing bomb, and Vindi's trying to escape."

"I saw Vindi give a little droid a bomb." Padme said, catching up with Anakin.

"Split up, find that droid." Anakin said, motioning to his clones and Ahsoka.

"Let's move!" Ahsoka declared, running down one of the four hallways, Kathryn following behind.

XXXXX

" _Obi-Wan! Doctor Vindi's escaping!_ " Anakin shouted into his communicator, his lightsaber slowly cutting through the metal blast door. " _He's at the landing platform!_ "

" _I'm on my way!_ " Obi-Wan responded. " _Can anyone else come in to assist us?_ "

Alice listened to the conversation over the communicator, pulling her Hard Light Blade out from the torso of a B-2 droid. " _I'm en-route._ " She replied, kicking the droid aside. She quickly closed and sealed her armor, sending the proper signal to her Neural Lance. Upon her command, her armor opened up a portal, roughly her height and width, into the Slipstream. The clones around her looked rather startled, but she paid them little mind as she stepped into the black emptiness of Slipspace.

After a mere moment of Slipspace Transit, she dropped back into real-space just behind Anakin, her armor clanking heavily against the metal floor. The Jedi looked momentarily stunned, seeing a SPARTAN emerge from a portal to another dimension right before his eyes. He quickly caught himself and continued cutting through the blast door. "Almost got it…" Anakin said, his voice straining as he pushed his saber through the metal.

A few moments and inches moved later, Obi-Wan and six Clone Troopers rushed down the hallway. Anakin reached out through the Force and pushed the blast door's new opening inwards, causing a circular slab of metal to collapse onto the other side.

Before anyone had completely stepped through, a hail of red blaster fire came raining down on them from the slowly-raising platform holding both Vindi and a CIS Shuttle. The Clones quickly funneled through, along with the Jedi and SPARTAN. "Hold your fire!" Alice ordered the Clones. "If he drops any of those vials, this planet's done."

Anakin propelled himself upwards through the Force, sending himself sailing towards the slowly elevating platform. He made it about halfway, catching himself on the hydraulic piston, and continuing his ascent. Obi-Wan followed suit, with Alice choosing to shunt herself back into Slipspace, emerging atop the platform, her Light Rifle aimed directly at Vindi's center mass. "Doctor Vindi, drop your weapon immediately." Alice ordered.

Vindi seemed to tense his grip on the blaster pistol, eventually tossing it aside. A mere moment later, Anakin and Obi-Wan managed to climb atop the platform, just before it reached the surface and shut itself off from the underground facility. Both of them ignited their sabers, pointing them towards Vindi. Vindi held out a single blue vial, seeming to contain a concentrated gas.

Before the thin, lanky Vindi could shatter the vial against the metal platform, he was tackled to the ground by Peppi, which knocked the virus vial into the air. Obi-Wan managed to reach out through the Force, catching it and slowly lowering it to the ground.

Anakin and Alice ran over to where the Gungan had Vindi pinned. As they approached, Vindi began laughing. "You're too late, Jedi! The bomb's going off, and this damned planet is doomed!" Just as the small timer on his wrist reached the detonation point, Jane came over the comms.

" _All bombs defused, facility secure._ " She said, letting out a strained sigh. " _Even the missing one._ "

Vindi's expression shifted to wide-eyed horror as he saw the small smile on Anakin's face. Alice spoke up again. "Now, Doctor, you are under arrest for several war crimes and the use of bio-weapons on a peaceful garden world." She kept her rifle leveled against his head the entire time he stared back at her.

XXXXX

Kathryn strolled through the bomb storage room, taking stock of the disabled bombs. One bomb in particular caught her eye. Her eyes widened beneath her helmet. " _One of the virus containers is missing!_ " Kathryn declared into her communicator. " _The little droid probably has it._ "

Padme came over the communicator. " _You heard her, scan the entire facility and find that droid!_ "

Kathryn jogged out of the room, calling her Light Rifle into existence. After a few minutes of walking around the subterranean facility, she eventually came upon Ahsoka, Rex, and a few Clone Troopers that were scanning the area. "Ahsoka!" Kathryn called out, catching the Padawan's attention. "Any luck?"

"Nothing over here." Ahsoka said. "I've already sealed up the facility, so if a leak does happen, it'll stay down here."

"Smart." Kathryn agreed, nodding. "I've already cleared-"

Before Kathryn could finished, the facility's alarm blared to life, the klaxons signaling a breach in containment. "Get to the safe room!" Ahsoka shouted, pointing down the hall. "Move!"

As Kathryn sprinted behind the Clones and Ahsoka, she shouted into her communicator. " _We have a containment breach. I repeat, we have a breach in virus containment!_ "

The group ran faster than they thought possible, covering most of the facility's second level in the matter of a few moments. Ahsoka was forced to hold the closing blast door open with the force, allowing the others to make their way inside. Kathryn used her augmented strength and her armor's added strength to hold it open for the younger Padawan once inside, allowing the door to seal.

The entire group of ten found themselves catching their breath, with one of the Clones being the first to break the silence. "That was too close..."

"No kidding..." Ahsoka agreed, letting out a sigh.

"Shit!" One of the Clones shouted, looking into his armor's internal computer systems. "Some of the virus made it in with us... we weren't fast enough."

Everyone in the room, including Ahsoka, paled at the revelation. Kathryn knew she would be fine, her armor was sealed and could recycle air for days on end, but the others were not so lucky. The knowledge that the nine others in the room with her could suffer a death at the hands of a disease like this made her sick to her stomach. She quickly opened up a communication to her Fireteam. " _Alice... we have a virus containment breach. Ahsoka, Rex, and eight Clone Troopers are contaminated._ "

XXXXX

Alice froze up as the gravity of the situation dawned on her. Anakin looked about ready to bust an artery, and Obi-Wan looked downright mortified by the recent happenings below the surface of Naboo. Alice's expression hardened as she forwarded the information to Admiral Lasky through the GC's Quantum Entanglement Communication Network, and turned to begin marching towards the Separatist shuttle.

The SPARTAN Fireteam leader stepped aboard the shuttle, spotting Vindi in one of the seats with his wrists and ankles restrained, and let a snarl cross her lips. She quickly sent an armored fist into the glass helmet of his environmental suit, shattering the helmet and jolting the doctor backwards. In a single, fluid motion, she reached out with her other hand and grasped around Vindi's thin, elongated neck. She forcefully tossed him into the open air of Naboo, causing him to land right in front of the two stunned Jedi.

Alice called her Bolt Pistol into real space, grabbing the weapon with one hand and picking Vindi up by his neck with the other. She jammed the pronged weapon into the Doctor's chin, her grip just lax enough to allow the blue-skinned doctor to gather breath. "Where's the antibodies for this virus, Vindi?" Alice demanded.

Vindi barely stifled a laugh. "You mistake my goal, newcomer... my job was to manufacture a virus, not to cure it."

Vindi winced as the weapon was pressed deeper into his skin. "We don't have time for games, Vindi." Anakin said, gripping his saber at his hip.

"Yes, kill me now and spare these old bones the Blue Shadow's dire embrace." Vindi taunted, a small smirk on his face.

The smug smirk was immediately dashed by Alice bringing her pistol down across the doctor's head, a sickening crack making his broken nose known to the world. "Either you talk, or I have your mind Composed and I'll sift through every one of your sick, twisted, little fucking thoughts until I find what I need."

The doctor seemed stunned for a moment, realization dawning on his face that, due to the GC's massive technological advantage over the Republic and CIS, it was likely that the SPARTAN was not exaggerating. 'There-There's a root on Iego! It's called Reeksa Root! You can synthesize a cure from that!"

"Thank you for your cooperation." Alice said, throwing the doctor aside.

"Well, let's go!" Anakin said, motioning for everyone to follow. "We need to get this root immediately."

"Iego is deep within Separatist Space." Obi-Wan explained. "It'll be quite dangerous."

"If anyone can handle it, it's the three of us!" Anakin countered.

"On that, we can agree." Obi-Wan said, nodding.


	10. Chapter 9: Operation SAFEGUARD

**Chapter 9: Operation SAFEGUARD**

President Lockhart, generally speaking, was a very level-headed woman. She had served the people of the Milky Way for six years, and she was known for her even hand and very amicable nature. It was taking far more willpower than she possessed to keep a neutral expression during this meeting.

Sitting around the conference table in her office on the New Ark was the GC Joint Military Command, Vice President Veria'Aliter, and a holographic projection of Admiral Thomas Lasky. She winced as the Sangheili Commander of the Marine Corps shouted out. "Three SPARTANs are locked in an underground facility, surrounded by a deadly virus that we do not understand, and there is a very real threat of this plague spreading to the rest of the planet! We need to dispatch the Guardians."

"Absolutely not!" Lasky responded. "You want weapons like _those_ 'protecting' the people of Andromeda? Are you insane?"

"Admiral, imagine their effectiveness against the Separatist Droids." The Unggoy Army Commander responded.

"And imagine the damage they would do to the infrastructure of a developed world like Naboo." Lasky rebuked. "The Guardian's primary weapon is the Pulse. If one of those were to go off over a world like Naboo, there's no telling how many innocents would die! Hospitals would be deactivated, electricity would be cut off, transportation would be nigh-impossible, and it would thoroughly ruin any chance of us winning over the hearts and minds of that galaxy. I know more about these Guardians than any of you, I fought the damned things for Christ's sake!"

"You fought Guardians that were under the control of a borderline Rampant UNSC AI in the 2500s." The Kig-Yar Air Force Marshall countered. "These Guardians are thoroughly under our control."

"Have none of you researched their purpose?" Aliter asked. "They were designed to subjugate lesser systems under Forerunner control. They kept the peace through the threat of annihilation."

"What's better? Peace or Extinction?" The Marines Commander asked.

"Enough!" Lockhart shouted, silencing the horribly off-track conference. "You all appear to be forgetting who you need to convince. No Guardian will be deployed unless I explicitly sign off on it."

"Madame President, you must understand that it is a necessity." The Marines Commander pleaded.

"I will allow the Guardians to patrol two places in the Andromeda Galaxy." Lockhart responded, holding out her hand to silence the Sangheili. "Around the Andromeda Ark, and the Outer Rim. If a system is under exclusive Separatist Military control, I will sanction the use of the Guardians as weapons, but until such a time comes, they will remain dormant. Am I clear?"

"Of course, Madame President…" The Marines Commander nodded. "My apologies for overstepping my bounds."

"Don't apologize, I simply ask you to consider the ramifications of deploying the Guardians to a populated system. We've all studied the Human-Covenant War and Post-War periods, and we all know what kind of damage a single Guardian can cause. I'm willing to deploy them, but only under very specific circumstances." The Military High Commanders all nodded in agreement, earning a small smile from Lockhart. "Excellent, then this Joint Meeting is adjourned."

XXXXX

Alice's expression was surprisingly neutral as she sat behind Anakin and Obi-Wan in a small Republic Frigate. It was smaller than a GC Heavy Fighter, but it was comfortable enough for the three of them to make a two hour Hyperspace Jump to Iego. She absentmindedly fiddled with the cuff of her jumpsuit as the jump was nearing its end. "Alice, what's the status on the three other SPARTANs back on Naboo?"

Alice was jolted out of her thoughts by Anakin's question. "All three members of Fireteam Gamma remain unaffected by the Virus, due to their armor. Symptoms are starting to show for Senator Amidala, the Clones, and Ahsoka, however."

Anakin sighed, his expression darkening. "We're almost there, Anakin… they'll be fine." Obi-Wan consoled.

Alice felt the ship jolt beneath her, indicating that the Hyperspace jump had come to a close. Before her was a large garden world, surrounded by hundreds of natural satellites and thousands of artificial satellites. The orbit of Iego looked more akin to a ship graveyard than a point in space. Strangely enough, there was a small GC battlegroup orbiting the planet, made entirely of frigates and light cruisers. The GC fleet, for some strange reason, was firing their Hard Light batteries and energy projectors into the asteroids or destroyed vessels surrounding Iego.

"Well…" Alice said, gazing on the shattered orbit.

"What're they doing?" Anakin asked, seeing the GC navy win a decisive victory against orbiting bodies.

The communications panel on the Republic vessel flared up, receiving a communication from the flagship of the GC fleet, _GCSS Unifying Light_ , a single Nebula-Class Battlecruiser. "Looks like they're about to ask the same thing." Kenobi said, keying the communications console and bringing up a holographic projection of the Sangheili Admiral of the fleet.

"Republic vessel, state your intentions in this system." The Sangheili asked, sounding like he was merely going through the required motions. "I was not informed of any Republic scouts in this sector."

"We were sent from Naboo to retrieve medical supplies from this system's garden world." Alice said. "This is SPARTAN Alice of Fireteam Gamma, operating under orders and direction from Admiral Lasky."

"Of course, SPARTAN." The Sangheili said, nodding his head downward in respect. "Admiral Lasky had informed me of the situation on Naboo, I was unaware the vessel that would be arriving would be a Republic frigate."

"What's the Twelfth Light Fleet doing out here?" Alice asked. "This is deep in CIS Space."

"We recovered logs from a destroyed Separatist fleet about a civilian population trapped on this world. We were sent to investigate." The Sangheili responded. "We have suffered losses of one of our frigates in a Laser Defense Grid around this planet. We are currently working to dismantle it. You are safe to descend to the planet's surface, we will have the defense grid cleared by then."

"Thank you, Admiral." Alice responds, bowing her head curtly in a gesture of respect.

"Of course, SPARTAN." The Sangheili Admiral responded, clasping a closed fist over his hearts. "Mantle guide you." With that, the communication severed and left the cockpit of the light frigate quiet.

"Ready?" Obi-Wan asked.

"As we'll ever be…" Anakin responded, sighing.

"They'll be fine, General." Alice reassured. "The GC being here will without a doubt shave down on the time we have to spend groundside. The Admiral's already sent over detailed surface scans of Iego." She gestured to the blinking communications console.

"Then let's get started." Obi-Wan said, bringing the frigate about and setting it on a course towards the surface.

 **A/N:**

 **Alright, I have an explanation for why this chapter is painfully short, especially by my standards of at LEAST 5,000 words. Put simply, I'm not feeling the drive to write for this right now. This isn't to say that I won't be returning to this story, quite the opposite actually, this is simply me saying that I'll be putting the Mantle's Promise on hold for 2 to 3 months.**

 **I kinda dug myself into a hole by writing 3 EXCLUSIVELY Science Fiction stories, which can certainly be taxing on my inspiration when all three of my stories revolve around the finagling of physics and research into universe lore and theories. I'd prefer not to force myself to write a story that I simply can't think of anything for, but I will be returning to the Mantle's Promise.**

 **I certainly blame myself, seeing as I'm trying to write three sci-fi stories, each of them radically different and being the three stories that I intend to tell through science fiction. I've got one that's told through a more "True Good" lens (Mantle's Promise), one through a "True Neutral" (Roses Born of Dust), and one told through a morally ambiguous "Chaotic Evil/Neutral" (Humanity's Rebirth) lens. Writing from three different moral stances has been tiring to say the least, and I just feel the need for a bit of a break from the Mantle's Promise for a little while.**

 **This story will return soon, once I can put in a fair bit of thought and get my inspiration back for this story. Sorry for this, but I doubt any of you want to read sub-par work now, rather than the best I can put out later.**

 **As Always, see you in the next chapter or story:**

 **-TallYapflip**


	11. Chapter 10: For the Fallen

**Chapter 10: For the Fallen**

Vindi stared down at the metal-plated floor as he was escorted through the halls of the massive vessel that he was brought to. These newcomers, despite their technology being obnoxiously metallic and bright, were nothing short of horrifying. Every time he slowed down, even slightly, he felt the forked end of the Marines' rifles dig into his back. "Keep moving." The Marine deadpanned.

After being led through what felt like miles of starship, Vindi was shoved through a door. In the back of his mind, he expected a cell. What he got was much different. He got a very well-decorated office space. Sitting behind a very ornate-looking wooden desk was a human male with short brown hair, looking young yet experienced. Something about the glare that he was giving Vindi sent a chill down the corrupted scientist's spine.

"Well, I must say I have a hard time believing a scientist could have such a warped view on the sanctity of sentient life." The human admiral said, standing up. "You are aware that what you've done stands in direct contrast to the ideals of my people?"

"Your kind murdered life, yet you claim to stand to protect it." Vindi declared.

"Comparing a virus that targets all living creatures and a sentient being is a false equivalency." Lasky deadpanned. "The Mantle of the Coalition is quite clear that sentient life is to be guarded and protected. You have breached the very core of the Mantle."

"And you'll lock me away in your galaxy until I die?" Vindi asked, staring at Lasky.

"No…" Lasky said, walking a bit closer. "Your sentence goes far beyond simple imprisonment. For your crimes against life before the protectors of the Mantle, your sentence goes far beyond your understanding."

In a flash, Vindi felt blinding pain shoot through every inch of his body, down to his very core. It felt as if his very flesh was disintegrating on his bone. Even as he attempted to scream, he found his voice to be lost, simply falling flat as his mouth opened.

He looked down, seeing that his disintegrating flesh analysis wasn't very far from the truth. Layer upon layer of his flesh was being seared off by the second, starting from the feet and working up. Once it reached the muscle layer, it stopped hurting almost instantly. Instead, he felt himself growing weaker and weaker, falling to his knees and staring up at Lasky, who had an indifferent look on his face as he watched the doctor get composed. "My apologies doctor…" Lasky said as the last of his muscular tissue was ripped from his body, and the last of the doctor's very life was draining. "As punishment, you shall serve the Mantle in death." With that, Vindi's bones were reduced to dust, which was subsequently atomized as his consciousness was made whole again in the Domain. In the Domain, the secrets of the universe came crashing down on Vindi like waves on a shore, awareness he never thought possible bringing enlightenment and knee-bending servitude all at once. In his last moments as a "free" being before the Composer completed his transition into a Promethean, he knew the true meaning of Infinity.

Lasky sighed as he watched the last of Vindi's remains get swept into the void of Slipspace, shaking his head to clear it of the quite disturbing sight of Composition. Watching a being undergo Composition was always an unnerving sight. Twisting, writhing pain was replaced with nothingness before his very eyes, and he could always swear that for the slightest fleeting moment, the eyes of the subject showed their full understanding of the situation. For Lasky, watching that happen was all too familiar. At the very least, insanity was no longer a side-effect of the Composer's influence, that oversight was long-fixed by the GC's scientists. All Vindi would have to do is complete his thousand-year service to the Mantle, then his essence would be released into the Domain in full.

Lasky simply shook his head, hoping to clear the haze that had settled in. He strolled back to his desk, pressing a few of the keys on the holographic display, bringing up his communications link with Andromeda Fleet Command, which resided on the Ark Seed Fleet's flagship, the massive Terra-Class Command Vessel _GCSS Stellar Wind_. "Orders for us, High Admiral?" The Sangheili Fleet Admiral from the other end asked.

"I need the consciousness of one of our newest Promethean searched for intel. He has already been composed." Lasky explained. "Also, notify the President that I am formally requesting an additional Seed Fleet to speed up the construction of the Andromeda Ark."

"Right away, Admiral." The Sangheili said, clasping a closed fist over his chest before severing the communication.

Once his call was finished, Lasky simply plopped back down in his cushioned chair, letting out a heavy sigh as he ran a hand through his synthetic hair. This was easily the strangest situation he had found himself in over his full millennium of life. Armies of robots fighting armies of clones, warriors with the 'Force', and the Coalition was fighting a war in a completely different Galaxy. The Star Charts that the Republic had shared with the GC were a welcome bit of help, so they didn't have to spend years scouting and scanning Andromeda, but it was still jarring.

Lasky was shaken out of his stupor by a very welcome voice. "Holding up, Tom?" Sarah Palmer asked, walking into his office in her gel layer.

Lasky smiled. "As well as ever." He said, cocking an eyebrow as she sat on the corner of his desk.

"You looked stressed." Palmer responded.

"No more than I usually am." Lasky retorted with a chuckle, smiling as Palmer gave him a quick kiss on the cheek.

"We're doing good out there." She said.

"I certainly hope so, Sarah." Lasky said, sighing again.

XXXXX

Kathryn slid underneath an incoming wrist rocket from a Super Battle Droid, her alloy armor grating against the metal floor. In a quick motion, she fired six shots from her Hard Light bolter, causing the droid to crumble under the rapid-fire projectiles. From the other end of the hallway, Ahsoka and four Clones rushed around the corner. The Clones fired their blasters into the unsuspecting B1 droids, while Ahsoka launched herself forward, hacking through six more droids in quick succession.

Ahsoka, after felling the droids, ran over to the access ladder that would usually provide an exit to the surface. The sealed door was being grinded away by a B1 droid with a heavy metal-cutting saw. She reached out through the Force, yanking it down. It let out an almost comical wail as it clattered into the ground, which was silenced as Ahsoka stuck her lightsaber through its torso.

As Kathryn pulled herself to her feet, quickly crushing a twitching B1 droid's neck with her armored boot, she saw that Ahsoka's condition was quickly deteriorating. The normally upbeat Togrutan's eyes were sunken, her veins very visible beneath her greying orange-white skin, and she simply looked sluggish. This was confirmed when the young Jedi collapsed, only barely being caught by the SPARTAN thanks to her heightened reflexes.

As she looked down, Kathryn could easily see that Ahsoka's breath was coming in heavy, irregular patterns. "Ahsoka, are you alright?" Kathryn asked, activating her armor's medical systems to scan the girl.

"I'm alright…" Ahsoka managed between breaths. "That should be the last of the droids."

Kathryn watched as Ahsoka's medical information flooded into her Neural Lance, the results looking rather grim. The virus was actively targeting specific protein chains, bending them out of shape and causing swelling in the cell walls. Some of the more fragile cells had already begun to rupture, causing minute internal bruising. She had lost roughly twenty percent of her bone density, and her neural activity was slowed by six percent due to low oxygen in her blood. Even with all of the GC's advanced medical equipment and practices, a virus like this was truly difficult to treat in a warzone. The most the SPARTAN's suit systems could do was lessen the symptoms, and even that was very limited. "You all need to rest." Kathryn said, zoning back in. "All of this activity is only making the virus' effects more potent." The SPARTAN silently thanked her suit's atmospheric control system as she saw the effects the virus was having on the Clones. Their skin had gone from an almost Mediterranean olive color to a pasty white, with some reaching the final stage of the virus' effects. Three had already died in the past six hours since the outbreak, and the cause of death was not pretty at all.

As Kathryn turned to lead the way back towards the safe room, where Willow, Senator Amidala, and Jar-Jar were treating a few of the other Clones, Ahsoka piped up. "I can walk you know…?"

"After what happened back there, evidently not." Kathryn snarked back, earning a grim smile from Ahsoka. "They'll be back soon." She comforted.

"I know… I have faith in them." Ahsoka said in between a coughing fit.

After the short trek back, Kathryn finally let Ahsoka down onto one of the bedrolls that the Clone Troopers carried in their packs. Looking around, she could make out the smell of death even through her suit's filters, and it made her stomach churn. Seeing these people, helpless when faced with a disease like this, made her sick to her stomach even more than the smell did. She silently cursed the lack of information she had on this illness. Even with the _GCSS Infinity_ in orbit, working on analyzing the virus' genetic code, a cure was still at least two days away from final synthesis. Kathryn knew that nobody down here had that much time.

"What's it like?" Ahsoka asked, shaking Kathryn out of her stupor.

"What's what like?" Kathryn asked. "Sorry, lost in thought."

"Where you're from." Ahsoka asked again, giving a small smile.

Kathryn smiled beneath her helmet as she knelt down, shrugging. "Not too different from Naboo, actually." Kathryn explained. "Naboo mixed with Coruscant."

"What's it called?"

"Earth." Kathryn responded. "The Human homeworld. It's… it's a beautiful world, but I might be a bit biased. What about you?"

Ahsoka smiled again. "The Togrutan homeworld, Shili. A lot of rocks, desert, and Togrutans."

"I'd imagine that there's a lot of Togrutans." Kathryn responded with a soft laugh.

Deep down in her mind, something clicked with Kathryn. She was having a conversation with a fifteen year old girl that was on her deathbed, talking about her home. As the young girl mentioned her homeworld, she had the slightest little hint of sadness, regret in her eyes. Even for the battle-hardened SPARTAN V, it was painful to look at. Seeing a young girl, a mere four years younger than herself, thrown onto the battlefield in such a manner hit _really_ close to home. If the GC High Command didn't have an issue with the Jedi before, they certainly would once word of this got out.

Kathryn quickly pushed those dark thoughts aside, simply deciding to keep Ahsoka company for as long as possible. Ahsoka was very much surprised the more she talked with the SPARTAN. "You're only nineteen?!" Ahsoka asked, stunned.

Kathryn nodded. "Nineteen and two months. I seem older because of all of the… augmentations that come with being a SPARTAN."

Ahsoka nodded in understanding, letting out another cough in the process. "Are all of you this young?"

"We get recruited and complete training at eighteen." Kathryn explained. "Some of us like Alice, for example, are older. She's going on thirty. Some of the officers are over a hundred years old."

"Wow…" Ahsoka wondered. "How long can your people live?"

"I mean… Lasky's been alive for over a thousand years." Kathryn explained. "And the Wartime Director of the SPARTAN V Program, Sarah Palmer, is just as old."

"Your galaxy sounds amazing." Ahsoka added. "Maybe we'll be able to see it?"

"Maybe…" Kathryn responded with a grim smile as she watched the Padawan's vitals deteriorate before her very eyes. Despite her suit's medical interface, all it was doing was slowing the virus down. Silently, she hoped that Alice and the Jedi were hurrying it along.

XXXXX

Alice, Obi-Wan, and Anakin descended the ramp and onto the surface of Iego. Strangely enough, the landing pad was empty, covered in various pieces of scrap. The planet itself was arid and warm, but not uncomfortably so.

Her attention was grabbed by the nearby metal clanking of a B1 droid shuffling towards them. She drew her Hard Light bolter, but she hesitated for a moment. Something about its movement was off… more sluggish than usual. The far more obvious difference was that its head was mounted on backwards, and it was speaking to them. "Welcome to Iego…" It sputtered out every few seconds, as if on repeat.

Anakin, in his infinite recklessness, simply charged the droid and hacked it in half with his saber. Alice watched in mild amusement as Obi-Wan called after the younger Jedi. She suddenly found herself rather concerned with the sight of several dozen of the misshapen Droids marching at her small group, their incessant droning of "Welcome to Iego" becoming rather irritating after a mere first time. With very little hesitation this time, she raised her handgun and fired at the shuffling droids while Anakin simply cut through them.

"Anakin!" Obi-Wan shouted, sighing when he realized that his words fell on deaf ears. "You're encouraging him, you know."

Alice stopped firing for a moment, simply watching Anakin hack away at the droids. "I know…" She said, firing a quick burst into a droid's leg. "I wanna see how long it takes him to realize it." Alice was rather proud of herself when she saw a small smirk cross Obi-Wan's usually all-business face.

After roughly a dozen droids were cut down by Anakin's lightsaber, understanding seemed to dawn on him. He finally stopped his slaughter, realizing that the droids were simply speaking, and doing nothing else.

"Congratulations!" Obi-Wan called out. "You singlehandedly destroyed twenty two defenseless battle droids."

Alice smirked at the Jedi's surprisingly witty comment. "Twenty three, actually." She said, gesturing to the one lying flat on the ground, missing its right leg.

Anakin smiled, but was surprised to hear someone call out from the other end of the landing pad. "Hey, what gives?" Everyone looked over, surprised to see a young boy walking past a small group of other droids. "Do you have any idea how long it took me to reprogram them?"

"You reprogrammed all of these?" Alice asked, cocking an eyebrow. "Impressive."

"You know your droids?" The boy asked.

"Better than most." Alice responded.

"Well, welcome to Iego." The boy said, gesturing around. "Might as well get comfortable… you'll… be… here…" He seemed to be distracted by something up above the Jedi and SPARTAN, causing the three of them to turn around and look towards the sky.

The slightly red-tinted sky was ablaze with small explosions from orbit, likely from the GC fleet destroying the defense grid. In the wake of the explosions, descending into the atmosphere, were dozens of Pelican XI dropships, along with a few smaller GC frigates and cargo haulers. "What is _That?!_ " The boy asked.

"The Galactic Coalition Twelfth Light Fleet." Alice responded. "We are the Republic's ally in this conflict."

The boy seemed so stunned to see the very… ornately advanced vessels buzzing through the atmosphere, with little care for the fact that the sky was practically exploding above them. One of the frigates descended next to the landing pad, using its anti-grav systems to keep itself level with the concrete landing pad. The rear ramp descended, allowing the Sangheili Admiral that had hailed the Jedi a few minutes prior to step onto the surface of the planet, his eyes scanning over the destroyed droids with mild amusement. He strolled over, grinning internally as he saw the amazed look that the young human was giving him. "Well, I ordered the Marines to make planetfall to ensure that there were no Separatist hostiles. It appears my fears were ill-placed."

"W-What are you?" The boy asked.

"Galactic Coalition Fleet Admiral Zira'Moramee, Sangheili." The admiral responded, bowing his head slightly. "We detected signs of life on this world, but a strange lack of orbital constructs beyond a strange laser defense grid that was built into the orbiting objects of this world."

"You destroyed Droll?!" The boy asked, amazed.

"If 'Droll' was the defense grid that had you caged here, then yes." The Admiral said. "Now, before you ask me more questions, I have one for you."

"Sure, w-what is it?"

"My compatriots here," He gestured to the Jedi and the SPARTAN officer. "They are looking for a specific medicinal plant here in the hopes of synthesizing a cure for a resurged disease. It is called Reeksa Root."

"Ho-ho… there's some Reeksa Root at the bottom of those ravines… I wouldn't suggest going down there, though."

"And why is that?" Moramee asked.

"The plants tend to get mad when you do. They've got some big teeth."

The Admiral nodded in half-understanding. "SPARTAN Alice, I will have a detachment of Marines rerouted to the ravine to find this Root, and they will bring it here. From there, I will have my frigate transport you back to Naboo."

"We have our own ship." Anakin said. "We can make the trip just as easily."

"The Slipstream allows us to bypass hyperspace lanes." Moramee explained as if it were the simplest fact in the universe. "It would cut travel times in half."

"The Admiral has a point, Anakin." Obi-Wan said. "It would be faster, and we could get the cure to Naboo in time to hopefully save the Senator and Ahsoka."

"I will have this plant brought here at once." Moramee said, relaying the orders through his Neural Lance. "I will notify High Admiral Lasky of your impending arrival."

"Thank you, Admiral." Obi-Wan said.

XXXXX

Kathryn sighed as she watched the last of the Clone Trooper's life that she was watching over slip away. His cells had bloated and ruptured to the point of internal bleeding, and there was nothing more that could be done beyond that point, not without contaminating the rest of Naboo.

She looked around the room, seeing that the only survivors among the infected were Ahsoka, Rex, Senator Amidala, and two of the other Clone Troopers. Ahsoka's immune system was dangerously close to failing, along with Rex and the Clones. The Senator appeared to have a bit more time, but not by much, another hour maybe before her condition mirrored that of the Padawan.

As she looked down, seeing the young Togrutan taking in labored breaths as her blood struggled to take in oxygen, she racked her brain for _anything_ she could do to help. She had used every immuno-booster that her suit's systems could administer, and that barely slowed down the Virus at all. The few anti-viral applicants that SPARTAN armor could administer were very nearly useless. Just as she was about to propose something very _very_ questionable, her HUD lit up, causing her to almost cheer. She actually heard Jane mutter something over their comms system. "Oh fuck… thank god."

The _GCSS Unifying Light_ jumped into the system, showing an IFF that gave her renewed hope. Alice's IFF was aboard the _Unifying Light_ , and she received a communication a few moments later. "Kat, what's the situation?" Alice asked.

"Ahsoka, Senator Amidala, and Captain Rex are all infected, and the situation is deteriorating." She said, practically tripping over her words. "Two other Clones are on death's door."

"Transporting the cure down to you now, Kat." Alice said.

Just in front of Kathryn, a small rift in Slipspace opened up, allowing a small vial encased in Forerunner Alloy to drop into her waiting hand. The clear liquid was attached to a chip that could be inserted into her armor's Medical Array. "Christ, cutting that one close." Kathryn said, running over to Ahsoka and deploying the small nanite injector from the palm of her right gauntlet. Ahsoka looked up to the SPARTAN with confusion as she placed her palm just above her jugular, followed by a light stinging sensation. Almost immediately, that pressure that was building up in Ahsoka's chest was fading, and she felt light-headed.

Kathryn repeated the procedure with Captain Rex, Senator Amidala, and the two other Clones. She sighed in relief as she watched all of their vitals begin stabilizing, the cellular decay halting almost immediately as the nanites began attacking the virus. Once she was done with the direct injection, she sent the command for her armor to eject the nanites into the air to start attacking the virus, causing the vial to empty into the air.

"Cure administered, requesting a quarantine team to bring us up to _Infinity_." She said, connecting with _Infinity_ 's command deck.

"Pelicans en-route, SPARTAN." The voice from the other end responded.

The three SPARTANs beneath the surface of Naboo let out a collective sigh. Captain Rex, one of the two conscious infected, let out a grim laugh as he felt the nanites work their magic.

XXXXX

Everything between leaving the underground facility and arriving here was a blur to Ahsoka. She remembered a short conversation with Anakin, which happened just after she was brought out of the facility by the GC's quarantine and biological warfare specialists. The next thing she knew, she was lying in one of _Infinity_ 's massive medical bays. Other than Senator Amidala, she was the only patient in this area.

The four doctors in the room were incredibly nice as they were doing their utmost to accommodate, as far as she knew, the first Togrutan on a GC warship for medical reasons. Three of the doctors were humans, while the other was a very strange creature. It seemed to hover above the ground, and had various tentacles and appendages coming from its central body. One of the other doctors had explained the creature to Ahsoka. It was a Huragok, essentially a biological supercomputer. It seemed to do very little beyond float there and occasionally work with the doctors, but they were apparently highly social to those who could understand them. In a way, the pair of black dots that it had for eyes on its snake-like head made it rather cute when you disregarded the fact it was essentially a floating ball of flesh and tentacles.

Ahsoka looked at herself in the slight reflection that some of the medical equipment gave off. The color was starting to return to her face, her blood vessels were less pronounced, and she could already feel her strength returning. Thankfully, the doctors said that she and Senator Amidala would make a complete recovery within a few days, now that these nanoscopic machines were killing the virus off for her. The idea that there were machines smaller than cells that could cure virtually any disease so long as they understood its genetics was truly amazing, and a testament to just how… blindingly advanced GC technology was.

Ahsoka simply sighed as she looked around the room. She was so mind-numbingly bored. As fun as it was to watch doctors type away on terminals, talk in medical-speak, or watch the Huragok drone and click in its own language that only the doctors could understand, Ahsoka wanted something other to do than just stare at the ceiling.

As if to answer her silent pleas, the door to the med bay slid open, the silent, low signaling noise cluing her in. She looked over, surprised to see that Anakin was joined by Kathryn. Anakin was still in his normal armored robes, while Kathryn looked markedly different than Ahsoka was used to. Instead of her gel layered bodysuit that was worn beneath her MJOLNIR Mk. IV GEN-7, she simply wore civilian clothes. At least, Ahsoka _assumed_ that they were civilian clothes.

Her shirt was an almost shiny silver color, and ran all the way down the length of her arms, stopping just before the wrists. It left a bit of her midriff exposed. Covering some of the shirt was a black leather jacket. She wore a pair of black, fabric pants and a pair of black slip-on shoes. Her deep-red hair, usually tied back in a tight bun on her head, was left to fall past her shoulders. She looked like she had just gotten out of the shower. Ahsoka let a small smile cross her face as she saw the SPARTAN in a much more laid-back demeanor.

Anakin walked over to her, a small smile on his face. "Hey Snips…" He said, kneeling down a bit so he wasn't standing over her. "You did a fantastic job today."

"All thanks to your training, Master." Ahsoka said, her voice still sounding a bit weary.

A small, devilish grin replaced the smile on Anakin's face. "Yeah… you're right. I probably do deserve most of the credit." At that, Ahsoka gave a playful eye-roll. Anakin's tone shifted to a far more serious one. "But definitely not all of it."

"It's a good thing I know you don't mean _everything_ you say, Skyguy." Ahsoka responded.

Anakin smiled again. "She gonna be okay, doc?" He asked, catching one of the medical officer's attention.

"She, and Senator Amidala, are expected to make a full recovery within the week." The medic said, swiveling around in her chair that was suspended a few inches from the ground by an anti-grav system. "Until then, they're on bed-rest with minimal physical exertion."

"Am I going to be stuck in here the whole time?" Ahsoka asked, earning a small smile from the medic.

"Probably…" She admitted. "Despite _Infinity_ 's size, we don't have the space to spare right now, with all of the personnel that are based here from all over the fleet."

"It's not so bad." One of the other medics said from across the room. "At least Bubbles here is always entertaining to watch."

"His name is Bubbles?" Ahsoka asked, a smile on her face.

"Yep." The medic said, looking to the Huragok, which simply made a few popping noises as it cocked its elongated neck in a questioning manner. "That's why."

Ahsoka let out a light laugh, seeing the medic enter into some kind of debate with Bubbles. Anakin watched with an amused smirk on his face, and Kathryn simply looked on, barely holding back a laugh. After a moment, Anakin looked back down to his Padawan. "Well… get some rest, Snips. We're going to Ryloth in a few days, and the GC's apparently packing a full fleet for assistance."

"That thing over Christophsis wasn't a full fleet?" Ahsoka asked, brow cocked questioningly.

"Our full Battle Fleets are usually twice that size." Kathryn explained. "We… Well, we have a lot of ships."

"No kidding…" Anakin commented. "Get some rest, Ahsoka."

"Thanks, Skyguy." Ahsoka said, smiling as Anakin walked over to check on Padme.

"Feeling better, partner?" Kathryn said as she walked over, kneeling down. Due to her height, at a kneel, she was about eye-level with Ahsoka.

"Thanks to you and Alice, yes." Ahsoka said, shifting slightly to face the SPARTAN.

"We're just doing our jobs." Kathryn said, smiling. "It… It hurt to see you in that much pain."

Ahsoka smiled again. "Well, I'm alright…" After a moment, she spoke up again. "What happened to Vindi?"

"He won't be a problem anymore…" Kathryn answered, her response sounding rather final.

"Is he in one of your prisons?" Ahsoka asked.

"Yeah…" Kathryn responded with some hesitation.

"They already sentenced him?" She asked.

"The GC War Crimes Court proceedings are generally quick and decisive." Kathryn explained. "He received… full life with no possible reduction in sentence."

Ahsoka nodded in understanding, looking to switch the topic towards a… less war-related one. After a few minutes of pleasant silence, her eyes drifted to the SPARTAN again. "I didn't know your hair was that long…" Ahsoka said, earning a small smile from the SPARTAN. "I've never seen a human with that hair color."

"Red hair's pretty rare nowadays." Kathryn responded, running a hand through her still-damp hair. "I don't know if the gene for it even exists for humans in this galaxy."

"They let you keep it that long?" Ahsoka asked.

"Only if I keep it in a bun whenever I'm on-duty." She responded. "I love my hair too much to cut it."

Ahsoka laughed. "Man… this is so much better than staring at the ceiling."

Kathryn smiled. "I know what you mean… waiting for clearance to go back out is brutal." After a moment, a thought hit Kathryn. "Luckily for you… you're on a city in space. If my… professional diagnosis says you're good to be up and about tomorrow night, I'll show you the Central Decks."

"The Central Decks?" Ahsoka asked.

"The civilian center of _Infinity_." Kathryn responded. "A ship this huge can't function without a civilian population, so Decks 150 to 200 are the 'city' part. Restaurants, theaters, clubs, stores, apartments, all that fun stuff. Soldiers spend weekends on the Decks, some of us even living in apartments instead of the Barracks."

"Wait… you mean there's people who aren't soldiers on this ship?"

"They've got to be here for a ship like this to function." Kathryn continued explaining. "Hard to run a 55 kilometer long ship with just soldiers. We start to go a bit stir-crazy when all there is to do is drills, drills, drills, and more drills. And since the _Infinity_ -classes aren't dedicated warships, civilians are cleared to be on them."

"How many people are on here?"

"About… a hundred and fifty thousand navy crewmen and two hundred-fifty thousand civvies are on board right now." Ahsoka's eyes went wide at that.

"There are colonies with smaller populations than that!"

"Those colonies are probably smaller than the ship, too." Kathryn added with a smile. "It's not really dangerous, we haven't ever lost an _Infinity_ -class in the three hundred years we've had them in service."

"So long as it's safe, I guess…" Ahsoka agreed.

"Not many safer places in the universe." Kathryn said.

"Well, I'll look forward to being on my feet again." Ahsoka smiled. "Sounds like fun."

 **A/N:**

 **It's finally back! After over 3 months of hiatus, this is once again being updated semi-regularly.**

 **As usual, I appreciate all of the favs, follows, and reviews, and I do my best to respond to all of them. I really appreciate all of you guys for sticking through my weird update schedule. It annoys me almost as much as it must annoy you guys.**

 **So here, you got to see a bit of the GC's darker side, with Vindi getting composed and all.**

 **Sidenote: Battlefield 1 Beta is pretty snazzy. Runs pretty well, even on my laptop. Much like all of the other battlefield games, super well-optimized. I'm pulling a consistent 60 FPS on ultra in 1440p on my desktop. If this is how good the beta runs, the game's gonna be awesome.**

 **Sidenote Two: For anyone who doesn't know, I freaking love Star Citizen. I watched the Gamescom footage for Star Citizen, and that is just about the hypest shit I've ever seen. There isn't any instancing, everything looked seamless, and the planets are straight up beautiful! Pretty much right after I finished watching it, I had to go fly my Hornet around for a while. This is easily the most excited I've been for a game in years, and it looks like Roberts is delivering on every promise that he's made so far.**

 **Thanks again everyone. See you in the next chapter!**

 **-TallYapflip**


	12. Chapter 11: A New Dawn Over Ryloth

**Chapter 11: New Dawn over Ryloth**

Ahsoka's jaw practically hit the floor. Kathryn was _not_ kidding; this was a city on a starship.

The Central Decks of _Infinity_ , in all of their glory, looked strangely like a large shopping district from Coruscant. Hundreds of people of all species, native to the Milky Way of course, were strolling around boulevards and walkways. The streets each housed buildings ranging from stores, restaurants, apartments, all the way to theaters. There were _actual trees_ all around, and it felt like a planet. The artificial sunlight coming in from… somewhere in the ceiling brought a feeling of warmth and comfort. The difference was jarring. She was used to the internals of a starship being cold, metallic, and barren.

Just a mere few minutes ago, Ahsoka was lying in the medical bay of a massive starship, surrounded by beeping and droning machines. Now, she couldn't even tell that she was on a ship. Between the artificial sky, the warm temperature, the groups of civilians, and the city streets and parks… she would have trouble setting this apart from a utopian garden world.

Kathryn simply watched with an amused expression on her face as Ahsoka looked around. "Well?" She asked, looking to the shorter girl with a grin.

"This is amazing!" Ahsoka declared, looking to the silverite metal of Forerunner Alloy clashing against the greenery of trees and bushes. "How many of these ships do you have?!"

"Hundreds." Kathryn answered, nodding for Ahsoka to walk with her. "Only about three dozen of them are dedicated combat vessels, though. The rest are scientific, logistics ships, or colony ships."

"What's this one?" Ahsoka asked, following Kathryn down a narrow street. A few of the Humans and other GC Species glanced over to her, a few giving her a wave, or a short bow of the head in the case of the Sangheili.

"A scientific vessel." Kathryn answered.

"Your science ships can fight in battles?" Ahsoka wondered.

"This one's a bit more of a… hybrid." Kathryn explained. "It's named after the original _Infinity_ from the Human-Covenant War. That ship was a science ship, but it wound up serving in combat as a flagship. We built this one, which is the first of its class, as a sort of way to honor to old _Infinity_. A lot of this ship's crew _is_ the crew of the old _Infinity_ , actually."

"How's that possible?" Ahsoka asked. "Wasn't that war you mentioned from, like, a thousand years ago?"

"Admiral Lasky wasn't the only one who was composed." Kathryn explained. "The entire crew was. Almost all of the old crew jumped at the opportunity to serve under Lasky again."

"He must've been a great commander." Ahsoka said, still taking in the wonders of the cityscape around her.

"They made him Lord of Admirals for a reason." Kathryn returned, smiling.

As the two simply walked down the glistening walkway under an artificial sky, Ahsoka couldn't help but wonder about the GC. If this is what their starships were like, what were their planets like? What did the homeworlds look like? She wanted to pick apart every little bit of information she could about these strange extra-galactic aliens. They were millennia beyond anything that the galaxy she called home had _ever_ achieved, mastering the universe in ways that were thought to be impossible.

As she walked, a million questions started piling up in her head. She knew that Kathryn couldn't answer all of them… but it couldn't hurt to try. "How many people are in your galaxy?"

"Are we just talking Humans, or are we talking about other species too?" Kathryn asked, finally making their way through the main walkway. There were hundreds of people walking along their paths, many of them being so used to seeing diverse alien life that they paid Ahsoka little mind. They passed all manner of buildings, from apartments to nightclubs.

"Both, I guess…" Ahsoka shrugged.

"Well… there's around one trillion Humans in the Milky Way." Kathryn started, basing her numbers off of the decade-old census data that she remembered from Civics courses. "Give or take a few billion here and there. We're actually the minority in the Galaxy, compared to the Unggoy that is. They've got around six trillion people. All in all, there's around forty six trillion sentient beings in the galaxy, counting Prometheans and AIs, of course. If you count individual Lekgolo in these numbers, it's probably in the quintillions."

Ahsoka's questioning carried on all throughout their short walk around the spacefaring city. Ahsoka spent much of the time between their little exploration gawking at the strange technology all around her. Kathryn was more than happy to answer all of the Padawan's questions.

After finding something on the Decks that Ahsoka could recognize as food, she was more than happy to indulge in non-hospital food. Afterwards, the two returned to the militarized sectors on the massive starship. "Alright…" Ahsoka conceded, stepping off of the elevator and back onto Deck 3. "Your galaxy is officially _way_ more interesting than ours."

"I wouldn't go that far." Kathryn countered. "You've got several hundred more species than we do, and a lot more diverse technologies. All of our tech is uniform, very little deviation if any at all." Kathryn laughed. "I still can't understand how your lightsabers even work, they shouldn't even be possible."

"Neither should interdimensional travel." Ahsoka rebuked.

"Fair enough." Kathryn accepted.

As the two walked back towards the crew quarters for this deck, the ship-wide intercom buzzed to life. "All hands, this is Admiral Lasky. Report to your stations immediately, we will be entering orbit of Ryloth in ten minutes. All Republic officers and your SPARTAN companions report to the Bridge for briefing."

XXXXX

Lasky stood at the helm of _Infinity_ , watching as the rift back into real-space opened. The ship's resident Jedi and their SPARTAN shadows were standing around a briefing table, a hard light projection of Ryloth dancing across the surface. As the rift opened, the Jedi looked over, and fell slack-jawed at the sight before them.

Well over a hundred GC vessels were pounding a crippled CIS battlegroup into dust. The dozens of massive vessels surrounded the planet, and were tearing Banking Clan Cruisers and Lucerhulks apart at the seams. The flagship of this fleet was a massive Terra-Class Command Carrier.

Only six of these ships existed, due to their designated roles as Armada Command Vessels. They were utterly massive, rivaling even the _Mantle's Approach_ in size. The only difference between the two vessels was size and purpose. The Terra was dedicated solely to war, and its imposing appearance highlighted that. It was far longer than an Infinity-class, but was slightly wider and much thinner. While an Infinity-class had over five hundred decks, a Terra-class had only fifty.

The GC fleet around Ryloth was almost entirely made up of capital ships, mostly Singularity-Class Heavy Cruisers, Nebula-Class Battlecruisers, Unity-Class Dreadnoughts, Pulsar-Class Supercarriers, and Constellation-Class Light Cruisers. There was a new class of vessel that the Republic had not seen before. It was about the same size as a Singularity-Class, and appeared to be making micro-jumps through Slipspace to flank CIS fleet positions. It registered as a Phantom-Class Support Cruiser, and there were about six of them hopping about.

"Are you sure we were needed here?" Anakin asked, staring as the GC armada speared through the final Lucerhulk with a massive broadside barrage from the fleet's cruisers.

"We're carrying most of the ground forces for this operation." Lasky answered, watching as GC fighter wings moved to mop up any remaining Vulture Droids and hunt for any life pods among the wreckage. "Our little diversion to Naboo put us an hour behind the rest of the fleet."

"Admiral, communication coming in from the Terra-Class Command Vessel _Arminius_!" The communications officer declared.

"Patch them in." Lasky said, turning to a hard light projection of a Sangheili in gold-plated Forerunner Alloy combat armor.

"A pleasure, Lord of Admirals." The Sangheili said, bowing his head in respect. "We have eliminated all hostile fleet presence in this system and are prepared to offer orbital support."

"Excellent." Lasky said. "Casualty report?"

"No capital ships were lost in the engagement, Admiral." The Sangheili commander responded. "We did lose many of our light cruisers, frigates, corvettes, and fast-attack ships. We have suffered about thirty losses, with most of the crews escaping into lifeboats. Casualties are expected to be under four thousand."

"Could've been worse…" Lasky mused, still not liking the idea of his people's lifeless bodies drifting through the empty maw of the void. "Republic ground forces are fifteen minutes out, establish a holding perimeter around Ryloth and await further orders."

"As you command." The Sangheili responded, clasping a fist over his chest just before the projection fizzled out.

With his impromptu conference over, Lasky turned and strolled over to the briefing table, where Obi-Wan, Anakin, Ahsoka, and Fireteam Gamma were waiting. "What's our plan, Admiral?" Anakin asked.

"I've been coordinating with the Jedi Council and Republic High Command, and we've decided to play this one slightly more cautiously than Christophsis." Lasky answered. "A massive, planet-wide invasion would put the civilians on this world at risk, and I will not allow that."

Lasky highlighted a small city on one of Ryloth's many continents, sitting on the edge of a massive jungle. "This city will serve as our landing zone for the wider armies, as well as our primary operations headquarters for this campaign. The ODSTs will coordinate with General Kenobi's 212th and General Skywalker's 501st in a joint assault on the village. General Kenobi's forces will land in a large clearing two kilometers south of this village and proceed from there. General Skywalker's forces will provide support on the Eastern and Western flanks. The ODSTs will drop on the edge of the jungle, and will initiate the assault."

"For the beginning of this operation, we will not have air superiority." Lasky continued. "The Separatists are highly entrenched and scans of the planet show an immense anti-air screen, as well as large patrols of fighters. Our Falchions will escort the Acclimators down to the surface, but they will be providing air cover at the 212th's LZ only. Until we secure this town, our air support will be limited."

"We also need to remember that we're here to aid the Twi'leks, not destroy their homes." Kenobi added.

"Precisely why this initial assault will not be preceded by an orbital bombardment." Lasky nodded. "GC forces on the ground are restricted to their small arms only, no explosives or heavy vehicles will be used in urban areas. Republic ROE is the same. Once we're in this city, keep an eye out for civilians and watch your fire."

Lasky's Neural Lance lit up with notifications of six Acclimator Assault Ships entered the system behind the GC fleet. "Alright… the 212th and 501st detachments are here. SPARTANs, you're all cleared to drop with the ODSTs."

XXXXX

Eighty four SOEIV pods slammed into the loose dirt just outside of a small Twi'lek village on Ryloth, all of their occupants pouring out into intense blaster fire. Most of them managed to take cover behind their Forerunner Alloy drop pods, but a few unlucky troopers were taken out by the heavy E-WEB emplacements or a well-placed shot from a droid marksman.

A few moments after the drop pods finished their screaming descent for Ryloth's surface, the Clone Company concealed within the tree line opened up on the droid positions on a massive defensive wall. Kenobi spearheaded the assault with his small detachment of the 212th, occasionally deflecting blaster bolts from the droids that dared fire on a Jedi.

The clones began exchanging fire with the droids, occasionally managing to take one down with a hasty shot. Kenobi's use of the Force to assist a clone's thrown EMP grenade knocked out the E-WEB emplacement on the western side of the wall, freeing up the ODSTs on that side. A few of the dropped GC troopers were neither Sangheili nor Human, but Promethean.

A few of the Promethean soldiers launched themselves from behind their pods, their plates shifting to escape the occasional blaster bolt. They opened up on the droid positions, throwing insults all the while. "What pitiful machines!" A Soldier Captain shouted, firing his Light Rifle through the torso of a B1 battle droid.

"This is the best these creatures can muster?" A Shadow Soldier shouted, de-cloaking atop his drop pod and firing a single shot from his Binary Rifle, over-penetrating the droid manning an E-WEB on the eastern end of the defensive wall, killing the one on the other side as well. The Shadow Soldier let out a deep, mechanical chuckle as he faded out of vision once again.

One of the three Promethean Paladins that dropped alongside the Soldiers and ODSTs let out a deep, warbling war cry as the plates along its back shifted and twisted. Six Crawlers materialized around the Paladin, all of them quickly scampering towards the wall and beginning to scale it.

SPARTAN Team Gamma pushed up with the Promethean forces. Once the final bunker on the edge of the wall was taken out by another Force-assisted EMP grenade, the remainder of the GC and Clone forces pushed for the wall. Once the final droid was destroyed by an expertly-placed shot from a Clone Marksman, the Crawlers set to work.

The Crawlers, all of them having scaled halfway up the wall with a ten meter spread between them, began burrowing into the stone of the wall. Once they reached the halfway point between the Southern end of the wall and the Northern end, they placed Pulse Charges in their burrows and jumped. "Everyone pull back!" Alice shouted, causing the ODSTs, Prometheans, and Clones alike to pull back from the wall.

Once everyone was at a minimum safe distance, the Paladin ignited the charges that were placed in the wall. The brown stone of the wall was torn apart at a molecular level, disintegrated in a similar manner as the target of a Binary Rifle. As the middle of the wall was torn away, the upper half tumbled into the lower half and brought the entire edifice down, allowing the forces access to their first staging ground.

"India Company, fan out and recon this village!" Alice commanded. "PC-129 through 131, gather up the wounded and prepare them for Medevac."

"As you command, SPARTAN." The Paladin Commander, PC-129, answered.

Obi-Wan jogged over to where Alice was barking out orders. "I've ordered my men to recon the village. We need to find the source of that anti-air fire."

"Agreed." Alice responded with a nod. She had lost almost twenty drop pods to ground-based AA fire from this village. Alice's attention was grabbed by a notification on her HUD from one of the Watchers that the Paladins dispatched. "C'mon, Watchers have identified a good FOB."

As the two leaders of the Republic/GC assault on Ryloth moved with the bulk of their forces for a large, gutted building nearby, something was off about this village. Despite the large, clustered nature of the buildings, there was no life to be found beyond the soldiers walking the streets. "Something's not right…" Obi-Wan commented. "This village has a population of several hundred."

" _Had_ , more likely." Alice said, her voice thick with disgust. "Gamma, fan out and report any hostiles to me. Do not engage alone unless absolutely necessary."

"Aye, Ma'am!" The three other SPARTANs of Gamma Team called out.

XXXXX

Willow and Kathryn moved through the thin streets of the small village, their respective weapons primed. Kathryn carried her normal Light Rifle while Willow carried her heavily-modified Binary Rifle. Unlike the standard-issue long-pulse Binary Rifles that were distributed to GC snipers, Willow's was more akin to an older model. It fired a single, quick bolt as opposed to a long pulse of energy. "I don't like this at all." Kathryn said, scanning the windows of the buildings they passed.

"No kidding…" Willow returned. "Too quiet."

Just as Willow made that comment, she came to regret it. "Probe Droid!" Willow whispered, ducking into an alleyway, Kathryn just a millisecond behind. Thankfully, the grey droid did not notice them, and continued on its path deeper into the village.

"We should follow it." Kathryn said, watching the droid on her motion tracker. "It might lead us to the droid base."

"Agreed… let's move." Willow said, activating her active camouflage and following the small blip on their trackers along the back alleys of the village.

After trudging through almost a mile of empty back-alleys and blown-out buildings, the SPARTANs stopped dead in their tracks. The two of them could make out a massive ground-based anti-air battery made up of about ten strange-looking guns manned by B1 Battle Droids. There was a Tactical Droid standing on an elevated bit of ground, directing its forces around the small valley that they occupied. There were a few CIS Battle Tanks with these forces, which came in at about battalion strength with around 350 droids and 12 tanks.

What truly grabbed their attention was what laid in the center of the formation. It was a group of around one hundred Twi'Leks, all of them bound at the wrist and situated in front of the main droid formation. The droids were using the locals as shields. "Goddamn savages." Willow muttered to herself.

Kathryn established a secure link to the FOB's communications array. "Firebase India, this is Force Recon Group Foxtrot, we've found the Separatist anti-air batteries and headquarters. Grid reference A-2231 by F-4191."

"Excellent." Alice responded to the comms. "What kind of defenses are we looking at?"

"Battalion-strength , twelve MBTs." Kathryn responded, succinct. "Six anti-air guns, ten visible HMGs, and deployed cover. They've also taken about one hundred Twi'Lek natives prisoner and are using them as shields."

"Goddamnit." Alice cursed. "Report back to Firebase India immediately."

"Understood." Kathryn returned. "Be advised, the Separatists have deployed probe droids, and one just returned to their HQ."

"Copy that." Alice responded. "Firebase India, out."

"Let's move." Kathryn said, standing up from her prone position behind a collapsed wall.

Willow silently cursed. She had the perfect shot at that Tactical Droid's head.

 **A/N:**

 **A bit of a shorter chapter, and I apologize for that. I just felt like I needed to get** ** _something_** **out after putting this update off for so long.**

 **I've made a bit of a decision regarding this story, and it's not going to just be restricted to the Clone Wars. For this reason, there will be a few time-skips here and there to get the Clone Wars moving along a bit faster. As much as I enjoy writing invasions and fleet battles, there's just too damn many in the Clone Wars. I'll still be covering a lot of the major plot points of the Clone Wars. As for which ones, I'll be keeping that a bit of a secret for now.**

 **You can expect the first time-skip to happen after the next chapter, which will wrap up the Ryloth arc a bit more cleanly than the show did.**

 **You can also expect a lot of characters from the EU to show up, including everyone's favorite Grand Admiral and Heir to the Empire. And for all of you Old Republic people, boy do I have a surprise for you.**

 **I promise that future chapters will come quicker, and will be** ** _much_** **longer than this one. I've neglected this story far too much, and I do plan to fix that.**

 **As always, I love all of you guys and I appreciate all of the reviews, favs, and follows.**

 **Until next time,**

 **-TallYapflip**


	13. Chapter 12: Echoes of the Past

**Chapter 12: Echoes of the Past**

"Damned droids…" Commander Cody muttered, looking over the visual data taken from Kathryn's armor. "I guess that answers the questions we had about the village being empty."

"It does complicate things, however…" Obi-Wan added. "A frontal-assault is out of the question."

"Agreed…" Alice responded. She looked around at the Clone Troopers and ODSTs that were watching the briefing. "Have all of the recon teams reported in?"

"All but one, Commander." Cody answered. "Waxer's team still hasn't called in."

Almost on-cue, a pair of clones with the standard golden markings of the 212th Battalion came running through the door to the FOB's main building, both of them standing in a crisp salute when they entered. "Where have you two been?" Cody asked, glaring at the clones from beneath his helmet.

"We got a bit… sidetracked." Waxer answered.

As he spoke, Alice noticed the young Twi'Lek girl doing her best to hide behind the armored clone. "Ah… I think I understand." She said. "You speak the language, right General?" Alice turned to Obi-Wan.

"I do…" Kenobi said, walking over and kneeling down before the young girl. He began speaking in a slow, methodical manner in the native tongue of the Twi'Leks. It was a strangely beautiful language, many of the words seeming to flow from movements of the tongue, as opposed to the GC's standard dialect of English, which originated from the throat for most species. "The girl can lead us through the tunnel network beneath the village, and directly to the prisoners." Kenobi explained.

"As helpful as that may be, we need a distraction in the mouth of that valley to disorganize the droids." Alice said, zooming in on the narrow entrance to the small boxed-in valley. "I will have the few Prometheans we have with us launch a false attack."

"Then we have a plan, let's get moving." Cody said, nodding to his Clone forces to rally up.

XXXXX

"Admiral Lasky, General Windu has secured much of the Southern Hemisphere, and General Kenobi's forces are pushing against the Separatists on the equator." Admiral Yularan explained over the communication. "Once we take that village, we will be free to begin the push for the capital."

"Excellent." Lasky said. "Is there any news on the insurgents on the surface?"

"They have done much of General Kenobi's work for him, apparently." Yularan explained. "Some of the villages that we were meant to liberate are already free of droids. Once his last one falls, the front will be open."

"Good to hear, I'll notify you of any changes on the ground." Lasky said, cutting the comms.

XXXXX

"SPARTAN Alice, Promethean Armigers are prepared for the assault." One of the Paladins came over Alice's communicator. "Excellent, wait for my mark." She closed the communication, looking back down the scope of her light rifle as she scanned the box canyon from her position in the mouth of a cave.

"Gamma, move up!" She called out, motioning to her SPARTANs.

Wordlessly, the four SPARTANs cloaked and quietly made their way into the sunlight, advancing towards a strange pillar. "Go!" Alice shouted.

In an instant, the three Promethean Paladins and twelve Promethean Soldiers on the outskirts of the canyon opened fire. The Tactical Droid commanding the Droid battalion was disintegrated as a Binary Rifle speared through the center of its lightly-armored chassis, the CIS tank he was commanding detonating as a second round speared through its thin side armor and overheated the reactor core. The droids fell into complete disarray.

The Clones and ODSTs charged out of the cave entrance, quickly taking cover behind anything that was available. A few unlucky clones and a group of five ODSTs were unlucky enough to be caught by an exploding thermal detonator thrown by a battle droid. Three of the five ODSTs were killed, and two were gravely wounded. One had his right arm completely severed by the close-proximity explosion, his armor being the only thing preventing him from slipping away. The other was knocked unconscious and thrown against the wall of the canyon.

Kenobi shouted out in Twi'Lek, yelling for the natives to take cover in the cave. Wasting no time, the Twi'Leks darted for the entrance to the cave, all of them making it in without taking any wounds.

"Civvies are clear, weapons free!" Alice shouted. "Someone call in CAS, Danger Close!"

At their commander's words, the Prometheans unleashed their full arsenal. One of the Promethean Paladins was struck by a heavy blaster bolt from a CIS tank, forcing its failsafes to go into effect. The Promethean let out a warbling cry as it was sucked back into Slipspace, where its consciousness would be transferred to an inert body for later deployment. His companion, PC-130, fired an Incineration Cannon directly into the offending battle tank, obliterating it and scattering shrapnel all across the canyon.

The ODSTs started tossing Splinter and Pulse grenades at large pockets of droid resistance. In the confusion, the droids manning the anti-air guns abandoned their cannons and took up blasters to engage the Republic/GC forces. Just as Kathryn wheeled around to fire a burst from her light rifle at the offending droids, a brilliant display of golden light rained down from above, reducing the Separatist AA guns and their crew alike to ash. As she looked up, the SPARTAN saw a large wing of Falchions diving down on the canyon, escorted by a few ARC-170 Republic Starfighters and a pair of Jedi Starfighters. As they climbed once again, a few of the ODSTs and Clones let out a celebratory cheer. It wasn't long after when the final droid fell.

A few moments later, six Acclimator Assault Ships flew by overhead, carrying the bulk of the forces on this front. Behind them was a small fleet of GC Interdictor-class Assault Cruisers, each of them carrying thousands of Marines and Army personnel. The Clones, SPARTANs, and ODSTs gave a cheer as the ships began making their way towards a large series of plains on the edge of the canyon. A few of the civilians made their way out of the cave, and were staring up at the fleet of starships in wonder, a few of them celebrating as a wing of Starfighters flew by overhead.

The attention of the SPARTAN fireteam on the ground was grabbed as their communicators crackled to life in their ears, a familiar voice coming over. "Excellent work, Gamma Team." Commandant Sarah Palmer congratulated. "Have your forces on the ground regroup at the landing zone for the 1st Army."

"Aye, Ma'am." Alice answered. "We're moving out!" Alice called out over the thrumming of ion engines and reaction drives.

XXXXX

Kathryn sat on the tread cover of a massive Hellcat Super-Heavy tank, watching the Clones and GC Marines mingle with the locals. The massive airfield that had been constructed on the outskirts of the village she helped secure the previous day was abuzz with activity. Marines and Clone Troopers handed out food and medical supplies to local Twi'Leks, Pelicans and Falchions took off and landed from the landing pads and runway every now and again.

The campaign to liberate Ryloth was going exactly as planned. ODST platoons all over the planet's Northern hemisphere were disrupting the CIS forces with hit-and-run raids, the GC fleet in orbit prevented any out-going communications from Ryloth, and all that was left in this campaign was to secure the capital city of Lessu. Once that was accomplished, the Separatist Commander Wat Tambor would be taken prisoner and handed over to the Republic for a trial. This was not to say, however, that the mission on Ryloth went without its fair share of hiccups.

Three entire armored divisions of the GC Army had been lost in a surprise raid on one of their bases, Cham Syndulla's rebels accidentally opened fire on a GC patrol, thinking them to be a new type of battle droid, and a SPARTAN from Fireteam Ruby had been killed in the most recent offensive. Syndulla's little incident created a bit of tension between the GC and the locals when the patrol returned fire and nearly wiped out the entire rebel squad that attacked them. After that incident, Syndulla was asked to meet with Admiral Lasky, and the rebels have been working with the GC since.

Kathryn glanced over to the North, spotting the distant image of Lessu. She knew that tomorrow, the siege would begin. It was likely that this would be the most costly part of this offensive. Force Recon reported in earlier today, and apparently the Separatists were heavily dug-in at Lessu, and had destroyed every point of entry except a single plasma bridge. She took it that Lasky had an idea, why else would the _Infinity_ and _Arminius_ both be in geo-synchronous orbit over Lessu?

The heavy thrumming of a fighter's engines drew Kathryn out of her inner musings. She smiled as she saw a familiar pair of Jedi Starfighters land on one of the available landing pads in the airbase, hopping off of the tread cover she had requisitioned as a seat, and made her way across the relatively small forward airbase.

As she walked, she eventually found the familiar Jedi Knight and his Padawan leaning against their fighters, bantering as usual. She could pick up some of their conversation, thanks to her acute hearing. "That Vulture Droid totally didn't count; it clipped the side of that mountain." Ahsoka declared.

"Yes… but, I still hit its left stabilizer, causing it to clip the mountain." Anakin countered.

"So why won't you let me count the one I blew up before it took off?" Ahsoka asked.

"One, because it didn't take off, so it isn't _technically_ a downed fighter." Anakin began, smirking. "And because I'd lose if I let you count that one."

Ahsoka gave an eye-roll, spotting Kathryn a few moments later. "Hey, Kat." Ahsoka said, giving a smile.

"Hey, Ahsoka." Kathryn said, walking over with her helmet tucked away in the Slipstream. "That was some fancy flying up there, looks like Skywalker might have some competition for best pilot in the Jedi Order."

"I wouldn't go _that_ far." Anakin said, shrugging. "She's good, but I still beat her every time."

"Maybe if you didn't change what counted as a kill every time we flew, I could win." Ahsoka countered.

"Just keepin' you on your toes, Snips." Anakin smirked.

"Eh, you're still an Ace, even by Jedi standards." Kathryn said. "At fifteen, no less."

"I did learn from the best." Ahsoka nodded to Anakin, who gave a cheeky grin in return.

"Any word from Windu's legions?" Kathryn asked, looking to Skywalker.

"They're on the other side of Lessu, ready to launch the attack." Anakin explained. "Looks like Snips and I will be with your side of the attack. As fun as flying is, there's nothing left to shoot down up there."

"Well, there's plenty to do down here." Kathryn said, looking out to the field, which housed tens of thousands of GC Marines and Clones. "The two of you have been flying all day, you should probably get _some_ rest before we move."

"No arguments from me." Anakin said, sighing.

XXXXX

Kathryn sat atop the hull of a Rhino APC, looking through the scope of her Light Rifle and scanning the defenses of Lessu. The Separatist forces seemed to be holding fire, and there was no sign of them opening up anytime soon. There were battle tanks staring down the Republic/GC forces from their positions outside the city walls. Much like the day of the initial invasion, the CIS seemed to be using the locals as shields.

There were massive camps of Twi'Lek civilians outside the city walls, with droids mixed in with them. It was a cowardly, desperate move, and the GC soldiers had a few choice obscenities that they muttered when they first saw it.

"So, what're they doing up there?" Jane asked from the ground beneath Kathryn's perch.

"They're just standing around, just like the last ten times you asked." Kathryn answered. "They're outnumbered five-to-one, they're going to let us come to them." Try as she might, Kathryn couldn't think of a feasible way to cross the massive ravine that separated this city on all sides from the rest of the plains. It was almost a kilometer wide, and there was only one bridge across, and the droids had powered it down.

As she continued looking through her scope, something caught her eye. She saw a bright flash from the bridge control center. She adjusted the zoom on her scope, the source of the flash becoming visible. Six Promethean Soldiers had stepped back into reality _inside_ the control room, and were currently butchering the droids with their Hard Light weapons. In a matter of moments, the Prometheans overtook the few droids that were manning the control room. Kathryn watched for a moment in confusion, then it dawned on her. They were inside the _control room_.

She watched as one of the Soldiers, a Captain, walked over and pressed a few buttons on a console and pulled a lever. Soon after, the luminescent plasma bridge lit up, giving them access to the city. At the same time, all hell broke loose in the air.

Hundreds of SOEIV pods were screaming towards the surface, all of them bearing down on the central areas of the city. More and more Prometheans began appearing on the walls of the city, sending the droids into total disarray. "That's our cue!" Alice shouted from the command hatch of a Hood-VI tank. "Move in!"

With the roar of vehicles and the sounds of marching feet, the Republic and GC began their march on Lessu. As they marched the short kilometer-long distance to the plasma bridge, Prometheans began appearing in the midst of the droid forces on the outside of the city's walls. This seemed to inspire some of the civilians to begin fighting with the massive metal constructs that were tearing the droids apart, all while taking minimal damage. A few of the Twi'Leks grabbed discarded blasters and started opening up on the droids as well.

Just as the first of the APCs finished crossing the bridge, the final SOEIV made contact with the ground beneath it. The sounds of fighting could be heard from deeper within the city, and the occasional brilliant streak of golden or red light could be seen spearing into the skies above the city. With the outer walls secured, GC Marines began pouring out of their Rhino transports and Clones began clambering out of their AT-TE transports. The tanks remained on the other side of the bridge, occasionally sending a bolt of Hard Light through the hull of a Separatist tank.

Kathryn, who had been manning the heavy Splinter Cannon atop the Rhino she was using as a sniper's nest, jumped off the metallic vehicle and onto the dirt. The rear hatch of the Rhino opened, allowing Ahsoka, Anakin, Obi-Wan, and twelve GC Marines to pile out. Jane and Willow had already pushed up to the main gate, where the bulk of the fighting was. She ran over, along with the three Jedi, to join the assault.

The fighting was cramped, as urban combat tended to be. The rules of engagement still held true, and the GC and Republic forces only used small arms and EMP weaponry. The sounds of gunfire and clanking machines overpowered all senses on the battlefield, with the heavy stench of ionized particles clashing against shields and metallic armor.

A few Marines had managed to find cover on the other side of the city's massive stone wall, and were occasionally popping up to return fire at the defending droids. The Jedi began moving up, using their lightsabers and superior reflexes to deflect incoming blaster bolts. Prometheans stood atop the city wall, raining down hellfire on the droids. As for the SPARTANs… they were a sight to behold.

The three SPARTANs of Fireteam Gamma that were engaged in the assault were moving with inhuman speed and precision, appearing as little more than blurs on the battlefield as their armor worked with their augmentations. Their neural lances bounced signals from one another, allowing for instant, wordless communication on levels unknown to most beings. Just as Kathryn registered that a B2 Super Battle Droid was firing on her, Willow slid into view and deployed her Hard Light shield from her palm's projectors, blocking the incoming hail of blaster fire.

Using the opened provided by her SPARTAN compatriot, Jane tossed a recovered Republic "Droid Popper" grenade into the center of the offending B2 droid formation, the pulse of energy shutting them down and toppling them over in a hail of sparks. The SPARTANs continued their acrobatic displays of combat prowess all throughout the initial assault and were it not for the adrenaline of battle, many of the Clones would have stood slack-jawed at the sheer display of power that the three SPARTANs were capable of.

As the final battle droid fell, the Republic and GC forces continued their blitzing advance into the city. Thousands of soldiers funneled in through the city's main gate, and they all fanned out into the city at large with a single objective: bring the Separatists to their knees.

The veteran soldiers of the Coalition's First Mechanized Army moved in sync with the elite clone troopers of the 501st and 212th legions. Buildings were methodically cleared by the heavily-armored GC Marines while the Clones swept through the city, expertly shutting down any droid that dared stand in their path. As the army proceeded to push deeper and deeper into the city, more and more Twi'Leks began taking up arms to support their liberators, hearing the tales of Cham Syndulla's freedom fighters working with the "Silver Angels" and the Clone Army long ago. It was only when the two armies clashed against the droids that they finally began fighting to reclaim their homes.

The GC/Republic assault's momentum carried on, even as the fighting grew thicker and thicker as they neared the central palace of the city. The SPARTANs split up early on, knowing full well that the circular design of this city meant that all roads would eventually lead to the palace in the center. The SPARTANs were joined by their Jedi counterparts, Ahsoka with Kathryn, Obi-Wan with Willow, and Anakin with Jane.

As the Prometheans began securing the entirety of the city's defensive wall, this gave General Windu's 187th legion the opening it needed. As the Northern end of the wall was secured by the GC Armigers, the LAATs of the 187th began air-lifting Clone forces into the city from the North. With every corner of the city serving as a landing zone for further reinforcements, it was only a matter of time before the city fell.

After almost sixteen hours of door-to-door fighting, the two armies had the central palace surrounded. Marine and Clone marksmen picked off battle droids as they appeared in the massive windows, and the SPARTANs were making preparations to breach the palace with the elite ARC Troopers of the 501st. Just before the order to begin scaling the small mountain that the palace rested atop came through from _Infinity_ , an unconditional surrender was declared. Ryloth had been liberated, and the Twi'Lek fighters all around the city erupted into cheers as word spread throughout the lines.

XXXXX

Lasky stood on the command deck of _Infinity_ , a smile on his face as his bridge crew erupted into cheers. Wat Tambor had surrendered unconditionally to the GC and the Republic, and the remaining droids on Ryloth had been shut down.

Lasky didn't have long to celebrate, as a Priority-1 message came across his vision, notifying him that the President wished to speak with him. With a heavy sigh, he turned and made his way into the elevator, which would take him to Deck-1, the Captain's Quarters.

As he stepped off of the elevator and into his office, he walked over to his desk, placing a hand on a biometric scanner. In an instant, his terminal came to life and a Vidcomm request was dancing across the screen. He quickly accepted it, not wanting to keep the woman who signed his non-existent paycheck waiting.

As he accepted the communication, a life-sized, photorealistic Hard Light image of President Erin Lockhart appeared in his office, standing with her hands clasped behind her back. "Admiral Lasky, how goes the offensive on Ryloth?" She asked, her deep-green eyes locking with Lasky's own synthetic ones.

"The surrender just came through, Madame President. Ryloth has been liberated." Lasky answered.

"Excellent news." The President cracked the smallest of smiles. "Once you've finished up at Ryloth and extracted all of your men, something has come up that requires your attention."

"That being, Ma'am?" Lasky asked.

"The deep-range scanners aboard the Seed Fleet have picked up a strange anomaly coming from the Outer Rim world of Hoth." Lockhart answered. "It appears to be a Slipspace transponder."

"One of ours?" Lasky asked, concerned.

"I do not have an answer for that…" Lockhart responded. "It's faint, and it doesn't match any signatures used by the Coalition. If my suspicions are correct, this could be precisely what we were looking for."

"An old Forerunner installation…" Lasky mused. "That'd certainly prove that some of them did indeed flee to Andromeda after the Forerunner-Flood War."

"Precisely." Lockhart said, nodding. "It's highly unlikely that this signal is originating from a species native to Andromeda. As far as we know, no species in this galaxy has ever acquired Slipspace technology."

"Which is why we need to find this, unless we want it falling into the wrong hands." Lasky finished. "I'll look into this once our forces are back on-board _Infinity_."

"Thank you, Thomas." Lockhart said. "And this goes without saying, but this is a matter for the Coalition to attend to. The Republic need not know about this."

"Understood, Madame President."

XXXXX

Kathryn watched as Wat Tambor was led onto a Republic Frigate for his trip to Coruscant to stand trial before the Galactic Senate. A pair of blue-armored Republic Senate Guardsmen were leading him aboard the small Corellian frigate, where four more Senate Guards were waiting.

"We finally got him…" Ahsoka commented from beside the redheaded SPARTAN. "Almost two years of this war, and we finally catch Tambor."

"Our work is still not done here, young one." Obi-Wan added. "The people of Ryloth still need help recovering from the Separatist occupation."

"The GC's already started repairing the planetary power network and distributing food to the locals." Kathryn said. "It won't be long until Ryloth's back on its feet again." She thought to herself for a moment. "Maybe they can make something of their homeworld this time…"

"Only time will tell." Obi-Wan added.

"Think we'll finally get a few days away from the war?" Willow asked from her sitting position on a low wall. "Two months of constant fighting and marching should be enough for HIGHCOM to finally give us some shore leave."

"Maybe…" Kathryn said, hopeful.

"Hey Kat?" Ahsoka asked, catching the SPARTAN's attention just after the frigate took off, heading for the stars. "If we wind up going back to Coruscant, you should visit the Jedi Temple. I've got a lot of friends that have been dying to meet a SPARTAN."

Kathryn smiled. "I'd love to, so long as these friends don't sit on the Senate." That earned a laugh from Obi-Wan and Willow.

Ahsoka cracked a small smile. "Sounds good."

Just as their conversation was starting up on something that wasn't related to the war for the first time in almost three months, the two SPARTANs found their communicators being overridden by a communication from _Infinity_. Both recognized the voice as belonging to Admiral Lasky. "SPARTAN Team Gamma, _Infinity_ has a new mission. This is a Priority-1 operation, and you all are needed back aboard _Infinity_ by 1800 hours tonight. We'll be splitting off from the main GC and Republic fleets… this is an operation for the Coalition to handle alone."

"Understood, Admiral." Alice responded from the other side of the city, where she was overseeing the logistics for medical supplies and food for local villages.

As the communication ended, Willow let out a groan. This earned a cocked eyebrow from Ahsoka and Obi-Wan, who were oblivious to the conversation they had just finished with Lasky. "Sorry Ahsoka, looks like I'm gonna have to reschedule that visit to the Jedi Temple for now."

"Why? What's going on?" Ahsoka asked, concerned.

"Apparently, _Infinity_ 's being pulled out of the fleet for an operation straight from GC High Command." Willow said, sighing. "Damnit, that can only mean more OMI Spooks."

"What Willow's trying to say is that all of _Infinity_ 's crew is being pulled off of Ryloth at 1800 tonight." Kathryn explained. "No idea how long this'll take, but I doubt it will be too long."

"Don't jinx it!" Willow declared, glaring at Kathryn. "Every time Alice says that, it winds up taking _forever_!"

"You and I have very different definitions of 'forever', Willow." Kathryn joked. "You complained about a two-week jump between _galaxies_."

Ahsoka and Obi-Wan watched in mild amusement as the SPARTANs bantered back and forth, much of the technical talk going straight over their heads. It was more the fact that two supersoldiers were arguing like young siblings which made it so amusing.

XXXXX

Lasky's synthetic core shifted slightly as _Infinity_ dropped from the Slipstream over a large ball of ice that was known as Hoth. It was the sixth planet from the resident star. It had a breathable atmosphere, but its temperatures were unsuitable for large-scale life. He looked at the sensor readouts on his HUD, watching the strange signal grow slightly stronger as they dropped next to the apparent source. Something was familiar about this transponder signal, but he couldn't quite place it.

"Sensors, what do you have?" Lasky asked.

"We're the only ship in the system, Admiral." The Unggoy ensign called out. "Systems reading green across the board."

"Excellent." Lasky said. "Communications, run a trace on that signal, get me a source."

"Aye, sir!" The Kig-Yar Comms Officer called out, his scratchy voice sounding out over the chatter on the bridge. After a few moments, the Comms Officer called out again. "Source found, Admiral. Sending coordinates to your HUD."

Lasky looked at the topographic map of the area that the signal was originating from. It was a relatively flat area surrounded by small, snow-covered hills. The source seemed to be coming from a large, central mountain of ice. He pressed a button on his command console, linking him to the communicators for Fireteam Gamma. "SPARTAN Team Gamma, report to hanger bay 104 for deployment to the surface."

XXXXX

The Pelican carrying the four SPARTANs of Gamma Team set down on the field of snow that was Hoth's surface. The rear bay opened up, allowing the four SPARTANs in their full combat skins to jump from the back, their armor the only thing keeping the frigid air at bay. Joining them was SPARTAN Fireteam Sword, an all-Sangheili SPARTAN team led by Shae'Vadam. "Systems running?" Alice asked over the howling winds.

"Yes, Commander." Shae answered. "All systems are running at optimal capacity. It will take more than frigid air to stop us."

"Alright, let's move!" Alice called out, beginning the three hundred meter hike towards the source of the strange Slipspace transponder signal.

As the two SPARTAN teams walked through the knee-high snow, two members of each team had their Enhanced Vision Modules active and were scanning for the local wildlife of Hoth, which was apparently rather hostile. Kathryn was one of the two members of Gamma with her module active.

As they walked towards the massive mountain of ice and snow, which was easily several kilometers across, they noticed something strange. There was a large cave that seemed to be torn into the side of the mountain, leading down at a twenty-degree angle. "Admiral, there's a cave of some kind that leads into the mountain, how should we proceed?" Alice asked.

"Head inside, keep in constant communication." Lasky answered.

"You heard the man." Alice said, allowing Kathryn and Jane to take point.

As the eight SPARTANs made their way deep into the mountain, they noticed something even stranger than the cave itself: how uniform it was. It seemed to descent at a near-constant slope, showing that this was obviously not natural. There was no water to erode the ice, nor could the winds create such a downward angle so perfectly. Despite all of this, Kathryn was well and truly taken aback by what she found at the end of the cave.

It was a simple plate of grey metal, her sensors recognizing it as a Titanium Alloy. She wouldn't have thought anything of this, were if not for what was sitting on the ground just outside of a small puncture in the metal.

She reached out, picking up a strange-looking rifle that was made up of a mix of polymers and metal. It had an LED ammunition counter, bullpup magazine, charging handle, and forward grip. Just to confirm her suspicions, she pressed a small button on the side of the receiver, causing the LED screen to flare to life, flickering a few times before finally settling on reading out "51".

"Holy… shit…" Kathryn said, turning around with the MA5B in hand.

"Is that… what I think it is?" Alice asked, gawking at the device in her SPARTAN's hands.

Just to prove her point, Kathryn pressed another button on the side of the receiver, causing the magazine to drop. She pushed one of the bullets out of the spring-assisted device, and handed it to her superior.

Alice took the small, corroded, copper-jacketed bullet and examined the rear. It was a center-fire cartridge that read out '7.62x39mm NATO' on the back, surrounding the primer. "Holy shit, it is an MA5…" In a blindingly quick motion, Alice reached up to her communicator and pressed her fingers against it. "Admiral Lasky, we've found the source of the transponder. It's not Forerunner…"

"Then what is it?" Lasky asked, well and truly confused.

"UNSC…" Alice answered.

"Hold your positions, I'll be groundside in five." Lasky responded, cutting the communication a few moments later. Just before he ended it, he could be heard barking orders to the bridge crew.

 **A/N:**

 **Well, I did promise that chapters would come quicker and be longer, didn't I?**

 **After the next chapter is when the time skip will be happening, so be prepared to jump forward a little bit.**

 **To clarify what I meant about the Old Republic-related surprise, I will not be bringing back any characters from the games or books relating to the Old Republic. What the reference is will be up to you guys to figure out ;).**

 **As for your question, JosephLeeCollins, that remains to be seen ;).**

 **As usual, thank you all for the support. Feel free to PM me with any questions you might have. I greatly appreciate every one and do my best to respond if applicable.**

 **Until next time,**

 **-TallYapflip**


	14. Chapter 13: In Spirit

**Chapter 13: In Spirit**

The SPARTANs watched as the four Constructor drones silently hacked away at the meter-thick plating that was barring their entry to the UNSC vessel. Joining them in the icy cave was a full company of GC Marines of all species, outfitted with gear to protect them from radiation or chemical leaks, as well as a squadron of fifteen Sentinel drones. For reasons known only to himself, Lasky had made planetfall with the rest of the Marines. He was in his full Promethean form, Forerunner Alloy plates shifting endlessly with every minute movement. He towered over even the SPARTANs, and appeared unarmed. Everyone with him knew how powerful his "true" form was… he had no need for weapons

The _Infinity_ was prepared to offer full orbital support in the event of the Hood Protocol going into effect. No chances would be taken here.

After what felt like hours of watching the small drones sear their way through the armored plating, a large plate of titanium alloy fell free from the rest of the structure, allowing the Marines and SPARTANs access to the internals of the relatively ancient vessel. The fifteen Sentinels made their way inside, scanning every inch of material before them. As they gave a satisfactory beep, Lasky gave a quick motion with his flattened hand. "Move in." He ordered.

The SPARTANs led the way, their array of Hard Light armaments pointed outwards as they stepped through the new door to the vessel from a bygone age. The interior was a rather drab gray, with seemingly no active power. They appeared to be in an armory of the old ship, with MA5Bs, MA5Cs, BR-55s, M6Cs, SRS-99Cs, and M7s lining the walls. Munitions and ordinance crates were scattered around the room, thrown about by the presumed crash landing.

"Someone get that door open." Lasky said, gesturing to the locked blast door that separated the Armory from the rest of the vessel. Wordlessly, one of the Sangheili SPARTANs walked over and began working to wrench the door open.

As the SPARTAN worked to open the door, Lasky reached over to one of the wall-mounted weapon racks, grabbing an M6 Magnum from its resting place and looking it over. It seemed almost too small for his metallic hands, but felt sturdy and well-made. It had survived such a long time buried beneath the surface of Hoth with no maintenance… these things certainly were well-made.

Memories of his time aboard the old _Infinity_ came flooding back. Every mission, every Slipspace jump, every vid-call with Admiral Osman… he always had his Magnum at his side. For the past nine hundred years, he had only seen these weapons in museums or cheesy war movies. To actually hold a functional, original model was almost too much to bear for the centuries-old Admiral. Whether it was a fit of nostalgia or his inner historian, he wasn't sure, but he decided to hold onto this one.

Lasky was shaken out of his remembrance by the sound of metal grating against metal. The blast door had been pried open by the Sangheili, and Marines were beginning to file out of the armory and into the belly of the ancient machine of war. "Orders, Admiral?" Alice asked, looking to her superior.

"Gamma, look for a Cryo Bay… see if anyone's still on-board." Lasky began. "Sword, head to the Reactor Deck with the Constructors and get power to the rest of the vessel."

"Right away!" Alice said, nodding and leading her team deeper into the ship.

"As you command." Shae nodded, motioning to the rest of her team to follow.

Lasky was the last out of the Armory, making his way through the labyrinth of pitch-black hallways. He was searching for the Bridge.

After a few minutes of wandering through the ship, occasionally wrenching a door open, Lasky finally found his objective. After tearing the bulkhead clear, he stepped onto the bridge of the vessel. Strangely enough, the windows seemed intact, but the metal blast shields had deployed over them. His low-light vision gave him a clear picture.

The bridge was completely empty. There were no remains, no bodies, no lights. This ship had laid dormant for centuries at the least, and it showed. A thick layer of dust had settled over much of the bridge's equipment. Knowing full-well the nature of UNSC designs, he made his way to the center of the bridge, finding himself surrounded by ancient computers and consoles.

He knelt down, his metallic knee clanking against the floor. He brushed his hand across the dust-covered floor, unearthing the ship's emblem. He had evidently started at the bottom of the seal, unearthing the hull pattern first. It read out in a simple three-letter, two-number designation. "CFV-88." He recognized that designation, it was a Phoenix-class Colony Ship from the mid-2400s. That threw a bit of a wrench in his suspicions. There were no records of the UNSC ever sending a mission to Andromeda, not even in ONI's old Section One files. As Lasky began working to reveal the rest of the emblem, he found himself well and truly floored.

As he finished dusting off the old titanium allow, he got a full picture of the emblem. It was a Phoenix, painted black, blue, gold, and red, with faded lettering surrounding it. Some was in Latin, reading out " _Exitus Acta Probat_ ", while some was in English, reading out "Phoenix Class 2473." Across the top, however, was something he never expected to see. It was written in bolded, gold letters, and truly surprised him. "UNSC SPIRIT OF FIRE."

Not knowing what to make of it, Lasky simply settled on staring at the emblem for a moment. This old vessel had been lost in the first years of the Human-Covenant War after making a jump from Arcadia. He had expected this ship to be found drifting through empty space in the Milky Way, not sitting buried beneath the snow on a planet in Andromeda.

Lasky simply chuckled as he looked at the old emblem one final time before standing back up and looking around the Bridge.

XXXXX

Alice's communicator bleeped as Lasky linked up with her. "Attention Insertion Team, I'm uploading the schematics of this vessel to your HUD. That should make our trip go a little quicker. Welcome aboard the UNSC _Spirit of Fire_."

"No fucking way…" Willow said, watching as the layout of the vessel was linked to their HUDs from the Admiral's end. "How'd this ship get here?"

"That's what we're here to find out." Alice said, marking the location of the Cryo Bay on her team's HUDs. "Let's keep moving, we're not far from the primary cryo facility."

"What do you think the odds are that someone's still frozen in there, Alice?" Jane asked, following behind her commander as she looked around the old architecture.

"Depends on how long the reactors were active." Alice answered. "UNSC Deuterium Reactors could sustain themselves for hundreds of years in proper conditions, and Cryo Pods were able to stay powered indefinitely, even with the ship on the auxiliary generators. The only question is… could a Human survive _this_ long in Cryo Sleep? It's never been tested."

After walking a fair distance across the 2.5 kilometer-long vessel, Fireteam Gamma found themselves at the blast door that led into the Cryo Bay. Just after they arrived, the ship seemed to flicker as the lights reactivated. A low, droning hum could be heard for a moment as power surged through the sleeping behemoth.

"Secondary reactor online, Admiral." Shae reported from the Reactor Deck. "Minor radiation leak has been sealed."

"Excellent." Lasky responded over the general communication. "Bridge systems are coming online. Any word from your end, Gamma?"

"We've just arrived, sir." Alice answered, looking at the strange computer next to the door as it flickered to life. "Entering now." She gingerly pressed one of the many buttons on the metallic surface, causing the long-dormant hydraulics of the blast door to grind and hiss as they forced the thick, plated door open.

The four SPARTANs stepped through the door, finding themselves practically surrounded by sealed cryogenic stasis pods. All of the glass viewports were fogged over with frost, and they all appeared active. Alice walked over to an active console in the middle of the room, scanning over the data that was streaming through the ship's internal network. She was stunned, all of the ship's crew, sans a few Marines and ODSTs, were alive in their cryo pods.

"Uhh, Admiral…" Alice began. "All crew are present and accounted for."

Without any response, a Slipspace rift opened behind the SPARTANs, and Admiral Lasky's metallic form dropped from the flickering portal. "I'm sorry, I think our comms are getting some interference." Lasky said, his metallic face giving an expression of surprise. "Did you say that all of the crew are alive in these pods?"

"Everyone except a few ground personnel." Alice answered with a nod.

Lasky walked over to the console, reading over the screen. "Well… that presents a bit of an issue…"

"Weren't we hoping for this, Admiral?" Willow asked.

"I was expecting a few to still be alive, not most of the crew." Lasky answered. "This brings a big question to the front: do we wake these people up?" Lasky tapped the screen, showing the last time a pod was activated. "The last person to enter cryo was Captain James Cutter in 2531… that was 1100 years ago. Everything that these people knew, everyone they loved… it's all gone, replaced by us. Their home has been gone for a millennia, and waking them up after so long could destroy them, psychologically speaking."

"So what now?" Alice asked.

Lasky gave a grim sigh. "I'm going to have this ship brought aboard _Infinity_ … we'll decide what to do with everyone here after I've talked with President Lockhart."

XXXXX

"Well, Andromeda is certainly full of surprises." Lockhart mused, running a hand across her chin as she spoke with Lasky. "You're sure that there's nothing aboard _Spirit of Fire_ 's systems that can explain how it made the journey between galaxies?"

"Absolutely nothing, ma'am." Lasky confirmed, nodding. He was back in his synthetic body, and ran a hand through his hair. "The ship's systems ejected the old AI, Serena, after she went Rampant… there was nothing on board that could have recorded for so long. The last sensor readings that were taken before the databanks filled up were in 2751, when the ship was drifting through dark space not far from the old Outer Colonies."

Lockhart sighed. "Well, the crew won't be of much help if they've all been in Cryo the whole time…"

"That was another question I had, Madame President." Lasky added. "What should our course of action be when it comes to these people? They've been asleep for over a millennia, we can't just wake them up and expect them to handle it."

"Agreed…" Lockhart said, nodding. "Maybe bringing them back in an environment they're familiar with? _Infinity_ is outfitted with a Simulation Deck… if we re-created the old _Infinity_ 's internals there, we could ease them into their… new situation."

"Their ship is also a possibility." Lasky added.

"It is, but I would prefer if the awakening happened with medical equipment that we are used to." Lockhart continued. "I'd rather not have our medics fumbling with ancient equipment if we botch one of the operations." Lockhart seemed thoughtful for a moment. "In light of this discovery, I'm pulling you and your crew back to Earth. We'll at least do them the courtesy of bringing them home."

"Understood, ma'am." Lasky said. "I'll transfer command of the fleet over to the _Arminius_."

XXXXX

Lasky sighed, making his way through the immense halls of _Infinity_ in something that he hadn't worn for centuries: his old uniform. The grey fabric clashed with the clean white walls of _Infinity_ , and the old metallic pins and rank identifiers added a weight that he was not quite used to. He hadn't worn this uniform since the formation of the Galactic Coalition almost a thousand years prior, but he had kept it for posterity's sake. To complete the image, the M6 Magnum rested in a holster at his side.

After his trek through the decks, he found himself walking through the simulation deck, where War Games were played and skills were honed. The SPARTANs of Fireteam Gamma stood by one of the doors, wearing their all-black gel layered bodysuits. As he approached, all of them saluted, which he quickly dismissed. "Admiral." Alice began, looking to her commander, clad in his old UNSC Admiral's uniform. "The medics are ready to start the awakening process. They've brought the Captain, Lead Scientist, and three SPARTAN-IIs, just as ordered."

Lasky let out a deep sigh. "Alright… let's get started." He said. He pressed a hand against a holographic glyph on the wall, causing a door to slide open. As the metallic plates of the door danced away, he was greeted by an eerily familiar sight: the _UNSC Infinity_ 's medical bay. Inside were a group of six human medical officers, along with all manner of their medical equipment.

"Admiral!" The lead medic declared, nodding. "We're ready to begin."

"Alright…" He glanced at the five cryo pods before him, all of them resting in the middle of the room. "Let's wake the good Captain Cutter, shall we?"

"Right away." The medic responded, pressing a few keys on the pod's display console.

Lasky and the four SPARTANs watched as the pod's main door clicked and hissed, releasing long-locked away pressure. The cryogenic material inside flash vaporized as it came in contact with the atmosphere of the ship, causing clouds of white steam to flow from the pod. Resting inside was a man, aged around sixty with a white beard and grey UNSC Captain's uniform. His eyes were clamped shut, and a thin layer of cryogenic material covered his face.

"Vitals?" Lasky asked.

"Stable." The lead medic declared. "Bringing him out of REM sleep now."

Slowly, the Captain's eyes opened. In an instant, his previously peaceful appearance gave way to a coughing fit. Cutter fell out of the pod, landing on his hands and knees as he coughed the cryogenic fluid up from his lungs and stomach. The four SPARTANs, having no prior experience with UNSC cryo pods, watched in amazement. It bewildered them that people slept in what was essentially a coffin with a glass window for long Slipspace jumps. Lasky simply watched, knowing full well just how much waking up from cryo took from you. And that was if you weren't allergic to the old cryogenic chemicals like he was.

After seemingly forcing all of the bitter fluid from his lungs, Cutter gasped for air, his coughing taking a few seconds to come under his control. Once he had his functions back under his command, he looked up. He looked surprised to see a UNSC Admiral, a medical team, and four women before him. At his confusion, Lasky spoke. "Welcome back, Captain Cutter." Lasky said, doing his best to mimic the UNSC's formal stance.

After two of the medics helped him to his feet, Cutter gave a crisp salute. "Thank you, Admiral."

Seeing that Cutter's confusion had gone nowhere, Lasky spoke up again. "I can see that you have some questions, so please… speak freely."

"Alright…" Cutter said, shaking his head slightly to clear it. "Where am I? Where is the rest of my men?"

"The rest of your men are quite alright, Captain." Lasky answered. "They're still in cryo sleep, and they've been brought aboard my ship for medical examination before we wake them. You, and your men, are currently aboard the _Infinity_. Professor Anders and SPARTAN Red Team are in this room, right behind you, actually."

Cutter sighed. "Thank God… Who exactly are you?"

"I'm Lord of Admirals Thomas J. Lasky." Lasky answered. At his answer, Cutter seemed to straighten up just a bit more.

"What happened to Lord Hood?" Cutter asked.

"He's… passed away." Lasky answered. "You and your men have been asleep for quite some time."

"How long?" Cutter asked, concern seeping into his tone.

"Well over a thousand years." Lasky answered.

Lasky was almost impressed at how well Cutter took this information. The only sign of distress was his eyes widening and a stutter. "W-where did you find us?"

"Believe it or not… on the outer rim of the Andromeda galaxy." Lasky answered.

Cutter nearly choked on the breath that he took in. "What?! Where are we now?"

"We're making the jump back to Earth as we speak…" Lasky said. "We'll be arriving in a week."

Cutter sighed. "Well… I take it that since a Human woke me up that we won?"

"Indeed we did, Captain." Lasky answered. "The Human-Covenant War came to an end in 2552. We've seen relative peace since the end of the 2500s."

"Well… that's good news, I suppose." Cutter said, still looking slightly shaken by the fact that he and his entire crew has missed centuries of history.

"With that out of the way, I suppose that it's only right that I drop the act." Lasky said, sighing, drawing a look of confusion from the Captain. "Let me start again… I'm Lord of Admirals Thomas J. Lasky, High Naval Commander of the Galactic Coalition Navy, and fellow veteran of the Human-Covenant War."

Once again, Cutter's eyes went wide. "Wait… you were in the Human-Covenant War? How? You barely look thirty."

"This isn't my… first chance at life, Captain." Lasky answered. "I believe that you've had contact with these before? According to your ship's records, at least." At his words, a Sentinel floated through the door, bleeping happily as it saw Cutter.

"Forerunners…" Cutter muttered. "What does that have to do with you apparently being older than my bridge crew put together?"

"I suffered a slight… accident while in command of my vessel, the _UNSC Infinity_ , in 2561. My mind was transferred into a digital format and uploaded into the Forerunner information network known as the Domain. Putting it bluntly, I'm immortal."

Cutter let out a breath. "And… I assume that we've reverse-engineered a lot of Forerunner technology?"

"Beyond the wildest dreams of ONI's scientists, Captain." Lasky answered. He opened his hand, allowing a small Slipspace rift to open up. The grip of a light rifle dropped into his waiting palm, with the other components of the weapon constructing themselves around the grip. "Since the formation of the GC in the 2600s, Humanity, and our allies, have reached Tier-1 technology."

Cutter watched in amazement as an alien rifle built itself before his very eyes. Not knowing what else to say, he simply chuckled. "Anders is _really_ going to enjoy talking with you."

Lasky cracked a small smile. "Well, let's wake her then."

XXXXX

Cutter couldn't quite believe it, even after spending a few hours with Lasky and his SPARTANs. He was currently standing on a fifty-five kilometer long starship that was tearing through the Slipstream at speeds that the UNSC had only theorized. This ship had a crew of hundreds of thousands, sported an on-board city, and a garrison of SPARTANs that doubled the entire SPARTAN-II Program. Above all, he couldn't believe that he was having a civil conversation with an Elite.

A Sangheili Field Marshall had joined Lasky, Cutter, Anders, Red Team, and Gamma to the Captain's quarters, where they were all sharing a drink and talking. Anders was more than willing to pester Lasky with question after question on Humanity's new technology, the SPARTANs seemed to be trying to reconcile the fact that an Elite was sitting with them, drinking, and talking with them. Gamma seemed to be the only ones they felt comfortable talking with.

"What's going to happen with us, Lasky?" Cutter asked.

"Honestly, I have no idea." Lasky answered, honestly. "The President should be able to answer that once we arrive over Earth."

 **x One Year Later x**

Vice Admiral Cutter walked through the metallic halls of the Earth Megapolis' capital: Unity. The Forerunner Alloy gleamed with a blue glow as he passed, making his way towards his destination. There was a small smile on his face as the metallic door shifted to make way for him.

On the other side, Admiral Lasky sat behind his official desk, a window overlooking the immense cityscape beyond. The beauty of the city never ceased to amaze the centuries-old man. The way that nature blended with technology on Earth was breathtaking. The rounded, smooth architecture seemed to blend in with the rolling hills, and silver spires pointed towards the heavens in defiance of their gravitational boundaries. The view nearly distracted him from the second figure in the room: President Lockhart.

The ivory-haired woman was elegant in appearance, standing tall and slender with white hair done up in a neat bun on the back of her head. A few stray strands fell down to the back of her neck. Despite being reconnected with the galaxy for the better part of a year now, this woman was still an enigma to Cutter. He knew so little of her. All he had managed to gather about her was that she comes from a long line of successful businessmen, politicians, and military leaders, she was forty five, and she had been President for almost six years

As she turned around to look at Cutter, he made out her brightly glowing violet eyes. He was still getting used to the new faces of the Human species. Humans were often born with highly varied hair and eye colors, many of them a far cry from the commonplace appearances of Humans from his own time. Out of reflex, Cutter snapped into a crisp salute. "Madame President." He said, his boot heels clacking together.

"At ease, Captain." Lockhart said, waving her hand.

"Admiral, I'm glad you're here." Lasky said, looking up from a datapad in his hands. He placed it against the desk, standing upright. "Your crew's psych evaluations came back with flying colors for the most part, and most have accepted the offer of joining the GC Navy."

"For the most part?" Cutter asked.

"The only notable exceptions were Red Team." Lasky added. "They did, however, fall in line with what we expected from SPARTAN-IIs. They'll be wrapping up their training on the Ark by the end of the week, and they'll be formally inducted into the ranks of the SPARTAN-Vs."

"That's good to hear." Cutter said, giving a curt nod.

"The inspection of _Spirit of Fire_ has also completed." Lockhart added. "I'm amazed that you and your crew not only encountered the Flood a full two decades before the rest of the Galaxy, but managed to survive with minimal casualties. It's a true testament to your command abilities."

"Respectfully, ma'am… my men did all of the work." Cutter responded.

"Precisely why they will be under your command again, Vice Admiral." Lockhart said, smirking. She keyed the room's hard light projectors through her Neural Lance, causing a holographic image of an Infinity-Class Dreadnought to shimmer into view. "And this will be your ship."

Cutter was forced to suppress a nostalgic grin at the name of the vessel, highlighted on the port side in white letters: _In Spirit of Fire_. "My entire crew will be on this ship?"

"All of them, even Professor Anders." Lasky answered. "Naturally, the crew of an old Phoenix-Class isn't enough to crew an Infinity, so we've had to pull in sailors from academies around the galaxy."

"And a certain SPARTAN Fireteam has personally requested to be stationed on your vessel." Lockhart added. "Gamma will be placed under your command, and you'll be dispatched to Andromeda with the 3rd Fleet once _In Spirit of Fire_ finishes construction next month."

"Better for them to be on the battlefield, where a SPARTAN belongs, rather than sitting on Earth while their commanding officer plays politician on the Ark." Lasky snarked.

"You accepted the position, Lasky." Lockhart returned in jest. "Nevertheless, there is oen more thing, Admiral Cutter… you need to meet your ship's AI."

Cutter turned his attention to a second Hard Light projection, this one taking a strangely familiar form. It was a human man, standing at around 6'3. The full-color projection showed him as having brown eyes and brown hair, an image that Cutter was certainly more used to. That wasn't what sparked the recognition… it was the uniform. The AI was wearing a full UNSC Admiral's uniform, complete with a nameplate: "R. Adm. Preston J. Cole."

"A pleasure to see you again, Cutter." Cole said, smirking. At this, Cutter's mouth hung agape.

"How…?" Was all Cutter was able to manage, his eyes focused on the legendary Admiral before him.

"ONI kept extensive neural records for officers of HIGHCOM during the Human-Covenant War." Lockhart began. "We simply… filled in the blanks in their imperfect replications."

"If you were an Admiral, you had a neural implant." Cole began. "And if you had a neural implant, your neural patterns were on record… they had to be in case a mistake was made during implantation. ONI kept the memories and personalities of their HIGHCOM Officers on record… for posterity's sake, I suppose."

"You… actually remember everything?" Cutter asked, still amazed that he was having a discussion with his long-dead mentor.

"Everything up until January 15, 2543." Cole responded. "That was the last time I had one of the standard implant diagnostics checks." Cole smirked. "The President tells me that I went out in a rather spectacular fashion that April, though."

All Cutter could manage was a small chuckle. His eyes drifted to Cole's nameplate, denoting him as a Rear-Admiral. "You got demoted again, Preston?"

"Wouldn't make much sense for a ship's AI to outrank its captain, now would it?" Cole returned with a smile.

Cutter chuckled. "I suppose not…"

"Well, I'm glad that went well." Lockhart added, bringing the two reminiscent officers back from their discussion. She handed Cutter a small storage drive, meant to house an AI and project its avatar. "You're dismissed, Admirals."

"Aye, Ma'am!" The two said in unison, walking out of the office.

As the two left and the door slid shut behind them, Lockhart sat down in the cushioned chair on the other side of Lasky's desk, letting out a sigh. "He didn't even have a year to get used to peace before HIGHCOM decided to throw him and his men back into a war."

"We've been at peace for hundreds of years, Erin." Lasky said, closing his computer terminal with a quick swipe. "Officers with real battle experience are a rarity, and we can only pull so many people out of ONI's old archives before we run dry. The Clone Wars is the GC's first real conflict, and our war effort's suffered as a result. Our commanders are over-confident and assured of a quick victory."

"And it's pretty damn obvious we're getting the exact opposite." Lockhart huffed. "A whole year, and only three planets have been liberated since Ryloth. This war's certainly dragging its feet, and I'm getting real sick of hearing about good people dying. Parliament wants the GC to take full command of this conflict, but I keep holding them back."

"You're doing the right thing, Erin." Lasky consoled. "This is the Republic's war, first and foremost."

Lockhart chuckled. "You're right… That damn galaxy's more of a shit-show than ours used to be."

"All the more reason for us to… gently guide them on a peaceful path, as my inner politician would say." Lasky smirked. "Once this war's over, we can quietly monitor them from the Andromeda Ark and intervene when necessary."

"Thank the Mantle for that." Lockhart let out another heavy sigh. "Maybe then I won't have to get a report that my daughter's stuck in an underground lab surrounded by a lethal viral weapon in the middle of the night."

"It's a part of being a SPARTAN." Lasky said, smirking. "They tend to have this strange habit of doing the impossible."

"Like marrying their commanding officer?" Lockhart asked, smiling. "You both knew that was against regulations at the time."

"And then I got those regulations changed." Lasky smirked. "Rules have two purposes: to be bent and changed."

Lockhart cracked a genuine smile for the first time in a long while. "Let's go, Joint-Command meeting's starting soon."

Lasky groaned. "Don't remind me."

XXXXX

Kathryn sat on her bunk in her team's barracks, absentmindedly thumbing through a news story from the GC's Core Worlds. Her fireteam's new home aboard _In Spirit of Fire_ was still rather barren, with only Willow's casually discarded civilian clothing littering her bunk giving the room any sort of character. Everything else was neat, tidy, and clean.

Willow was sitting on her bunk, her compression top providing her upper half with a sense of decency as she thoroughly dismantled and cleaned her Light Rifle. Jane and Alice were having a quiet discussion near the center of the room, with Alice quietly dismantling and examining the inner workings of her captured Lightsaber. "So that's how it works…" Alice muttered, pulling the small red crystal from its central casing.

"Figured it out?" Willow called out.

"Nope…" Alice responded. "All I did was find the power source and the focusing element for the beam. Still working on figuring out how the hell this thing's casing doesn't melt."

"We should just settle on Space Magic." Jane added.

"Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic." Alice rebuked. "And this is technology, meaning I _can_ figure out how it works."

"Why not just give it to R&D on the Ark?" Willow asked.

"I offered, and they didn't want it." Alice responded. "Director said they already have enough of a handle on energy direction and plasma focusing. They've already made working prototypes using our tech."

Kathryn tuned out most of the remaining conversation, focusing on her datapad. It wasn't long before something caught her ear, however. "Did Admiral Cutter say where we're going?" Willow asked, walking over to her footlocker as she set about removing her compression top. She casually tossed the exercise garment onto her bunk, grabbing a more comfortable T-shirt from her footlocker. "Or are we just playing this one by ear?"

"We're jumping to regroup with General Kenobi and Skywalker's joint fleets in the Outer Rim." Alice answered, pointedly ignoring her friend's bare chest. "Something about an ancient Jedi distress code."

"That's all they told us?" Willow asked, pulling the white T-shirt on.

"The Republic's message was rather… vague, to say the least." Alice continued. "They're expecting it to be some sort of Separatist trap, so they've asked the 3rd Fleet to send a few ships for support."

"Maybe now that we're back this war can start moving again." Willow commented, plopping back down on her bunk, tossing her reassembled Light Rifle into the Slipstream. "It seems like this war only moves whenever the GC's doing the brunt of the fighting."

"Republic's probably getting lazy, knowing that their ally's as powerful as we are." Jane commented. "They'll be in for a rude awakening when we finally pull our forces out and let them defend their own damn galaxy."

"The Mantle isn't exclusive to the Milky Way." Alice interrupted. "Sure, we can pull back to the Ark once the war's over, but we still have to be involved here. If the Republic really is dependent on us for their defense, us just pulling out won't do them any good. If a galactic-scale war can start over a simple trade dispute, the GC's in for the long haul."

As the conversation died down again, Kathryn turned her attention back to her datapad. Having a _long_ time away from the war was a nice distraction, but it was just that: a distraction. Fireteam Gamma had spent an entire year training Red Team with Hard Light weapons, overseeing their transition to SPARTAN-Vs, and drilling a few squads from a newly-graduated class of SPARTAN-Vs. Deep down, everyone was happy to be back where the action was.

 **A/N:**

 **I decided to put the time-skip mid chapter instead of at the end. I really didn't want to write out a whole chapter of politics, training, and all that jazz. Especially not after the stress of the holidays, working a lot more than usual, and traveling.**

 **For everyone who correctly guessed that it was** ** _Spirit of Fire_** **, congratulations! I'm surprised at the amount of people who guessed that it was the** ** _Everest_** **… given that it immolated itself in a brown dwarf. On the bright side, one part of the** ** _Everest_** **did survive. I figured that if Halsey could essentially make an AI copy of herself from her own brain, the GC could easily re-produce someone based off of neural implant data.**

 **As for bringing Chief back… I really can't bring myself to do it. John's had his fill of saving the galaxy, I think it's time he finally got the rest he deserves. It's time to let some other SPARTANs take up the mantle of the Chief (pun absolutely intended).**

 **As always, I love all of the reviews, favs, and follows. If you have any questions relating to characters, any insight, or a suggestion in general, feel free to PM me. I try my best to respond to all PMs, but I've fallen behind a bit because I've been traveling a lot lately. I'll be better about it now that stuff has finally calmed down.**

 **Sidenote: Updates to the other stories soon(tm), I promise.**

 **Until next time:**

 **-TallYapflip**


	15. Chapter 14: Aggressive Negotiations

**Chapter 14: Aggressive Negotiations**

 _In Spirit of Fire_ slipped back into real-space, the massive dreadnought emerging in empty space alongside a pair of Venator-Class Star Destroyers. Admiral Cutter stood over his central command console, his bridge crew working to keep the ship functioning. "Admiral, Republic Cruisers are hailing us!" Cole called out, his holographic image lighting up the top of the console.

"Put them through." Cutter ordered.

As Cole nodded, his image was replaced with one of the Republic's clones. Cutter recognized him from the briefing that Lasky had given him. This was Clone Captain Rex of the 501st Legion under the command of General Anakin Skywalker, one of the most respected and elite Clone Troopers in the Republic's army. "Admiral, good to see you." Rex began, standing straight and addressing Cutter in a very formal tone. "We're ready to depart, once the Generals regroup with the SPARTANs."

"Good to hear." Cutter responded, pressing a few holographic keys on his console. "I'll dispatch the transports and bring them aboard."

"Of course, sir." Rex responded. "Hanger Bay doors are opening now."

XXXXX

Kathryn stood with the rest of Fireteam Gamma and Admiral Cutter in Hanger 17 of _In Spirit of Fire_ , watching as the Pelican transports set down on the metallic floor. The two dropships opened their rear doors, allowing the occupants to step onto the massive vessel. Obi-Wan, Anakin, and Ahsoka stepped out of the first vessel, while a squad of four Clone Commandos stepped out of the second. Kathryn sent Ahsoka a small smile as she stepped onto the vessel, earning a surprised look from the young Togruta.

"Welcome aboard." Cutter began, addressing the Jedi and the Clones. "I am Vice-Admiral James Cutter, acting Captain of _In Spirit of Fire,_ and commander of the GC 2nd Expeditionary Fleet here in Andromeda."

"A pleasure to make your acquaintance, Admiral Cutter." Obi-Wan said, giving a bow to the slightly taller, grey-haired Admiral. "Obi-Wan Kenobi, at your service."

"I've heard quite a bit about you three from Lord Lasky." Cutter smiled. "I'm happy to be working with you."

"I assume that your High Command already briefed you?" Obi-Wan asked.

"Indeed." Cutter acknowledged with a nod. "Now that you're onboard, we'll be jumping to Mandalore. For the trip, feel free to make yourselves at home here. Since it's a new ship, we're a bit low on living space at the moment, but I'll see what I can do."

"Thank you, Admiral." Obi-Wan said, bowing his head slightly.

"Of course." Cutter nodded. "SPARTAN Team Gamma can bring you wherever you want to go. For now, I'm needed on the Bridge. I look forward to working with you all." With that, Cutter turned towards the elevator, and made his way back towards the Bridge's lift.

With Cutter having left the Bridge, the three Jedi made their way over to the SPARTAN team, the Clone Commandos standing in their own group. "Well, look who made it back to our Galaxy." Anakin snarked, a grin on his face.

Jane smiled, remembering Anakin's dry sense of humor rather well. "Sorry, got tied up in training the newbies."

Obi-Wan and Alice turned to their own discussions while Ahsoka made her way over to Kathryn, a small smiled on her face. "Kathryn!" Ahsoka said, happily. "I didn't think I'd see you again."

Kathryn smiled. "Good to see you again, Ahsoka. Get a little taller while I was gone?"

Ahsoka rolled her eyes. At least she didn't have to crane her neck upwards to look her SPARTAN partner in the eye anymore. "What were you guys doing in your galaxy?"

"Training the new class of SPARTAN recruits." Kathryn answered. "And bringing some old SPARTANs up to speed."

"I heard rumors that you guys found an old ship from your galaxy on Hoth, is that true?" Ahsoka asked.

"Yep." Kathryn answered. "Admiral Cutter's old ship, _Spirit of Fire_ , was found buried in the ice."

"How'd he get here?" Ahsoka asked, genuinely curious.

"Classified, I'm afraid." Kathryn answered. "How'd the Second Invasion of Geonosis go?"

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you." Ahsoka answered, smiling.

"Try me." Kathryn tested.

"We had to fight clones that were taken over by mind-controlling worms."

"Huh…" Kathryn thought for a moment. "Not the strangest thing I've heard, but it's up there. Who're they?" She gestured over to the Commandos that were quietly conversing among themselves, taking in the architecture of the Infinity-Class Dreadnought.

"Those are Clone Commandos." Ahsoka answered. "That's Delta Team. Master Yoda wants them to work more closely with the GC now."

"What now, Alice?" Willow asked, causing everyone to turn their attention to her. "We've got four hours before we arrive at Mandalore."

"Follow me, I'll show you to our quarters." Alice said, receiving a message from Cutter. "We're crunching for space right now, so you three will be sharing arrangements with us for now."

XXXXX

Ahsoka sat in one of the six chairs that decorated the floor of the relatively barebones barracks that Fireteam Gamma called their own. Due to the nature of the S-Deck, none of the barracks sported more than five beds at most, making the situation rather difficult on the SPARTANs when they learned that the Jedi would be sharing quarters with them for the time being. In response, they had set up field cots and cleared out storage space for the three Jedi.

She wasn't quite sure where the SPARTANs and her Master had wandered off to, but she had decided to stay behind and settle in. Absentmindedly looking around the room, something caught her eye. It was a curved handled weapon that she immediately recognized: Ventress' lightsaber. It was sitting on a table in the center of the room, surrounded by various tools. Her curiosity piqued, she made her way over.

It looked like the saber had been tampered with at some point, as the bottom of the hilt was lying next to it, exposing the Kyber Crystal in the core. She had almost forgotten that Alice had denied Ventress one of her blades. The SPARTAN must have kept it as a trophy of sorts. Ahsoka nearly jumped out of her skin when she heard the metallic door slide open, immediately turning around to find Kathryn standing on the other side.

Seeing the startled girl, Kathryn immediately smiled. "Sorry, got bored with escorting those two around. Didn't mean to scare you."

"No, you're fine." Ahsoka quickly answered. "I was just… lost in thought."

"Hope the place isn't too cramped." Kathryn said, making her way over to her rack and sitting down. "We pulled a lot of crew from the Naval Academies on Sangheilios and Earth, so we've got a lot of extra crew that are staying here until our Escort Fleet arrives."

"It should be fine." Ahsoka consoled. "It's roomier than my room in the Jedi Temple or the _Endurance_."

Nodding, Kathryn called her Light Rifle into real-space, the Forerunner Alloy weapon assembling itself in her hands. She pulled the components apart, letting them float freely as she examined them and cleaned the internals of the rifle.

Ahsoka watched as the SPARTAN fiddled with the various, strange components of her rifle. "What're you doing?" She asked.

"Pre-mission equipment check." Kathryn answered, sliding the focusing component of her rifle back into place. "Standard procedure, it's drilled into our heads on Reach."

"That's where you SPARTANs are trained, right?" Ahsoka asked, sitting down in one of the chairs.

"Yep." Kathryn answered, sliding the outer cover of the rifle back in place before tossing it back into Slipspace. After pulling her Hard Light Bolter out of the Slipstream, she spoke up again. "It's good to be back out here. As much as I enjoy my mother doting over me, I'd rather be on the front."

"Do you at least get to see your family often?" Ahsoka asked.

"Not really…" Kathryn answered, working on her handgun. "With me being a SPARTAN, my father being a General, and my mother being on the Ark, we don't see each other often."

"What's the Ark?" Ahsoka asked. She had heard some GC soldiers reference it before, but she had no clue what it was.

"It's the seat of government." Kathryn answered. "A massive installation on the edge of the Milky Way, guarded by one of the largest fleets in history." She reached out with one hand, calling her armored gauntlet into existence. The metallic gauntlet assembled itself on the table in the center of the room, the Hard Light projector in the palm creating a small image of Installation 00.

"Whoa…" Ahsoka said, looking at the small projection. "How big is that thing?"

"Just under a hundred-thirty thousand kilometers in diameter." Kathryn answered. "Built by the Forerunners, repurposed by the GC. It's the second-largest artificial object ever built by the Forerunners."

"What could be bigger than that thing?" Ahsoka wondered.

"Dyson Spheres." Kathryn answered. "Giant shells built around stars to draw energy and provide space for people to live on. Generally speaking, Forerunner Dyson Spheres were around two Astronomical Units in diameter."

Ahsoka's eyes went _wide_ at the very concept. The very idea of something being so large was absolutely stunning. Physically, it should be impossible, but so should almost every piece of GC technology. Under normal circumstances, she wouldn't have believed it, but she had no reason to distrust the SPARTAN. "That's… insane…"

"And we're building even larger ones now." Kathryn added. "The Forerunners left us a _fantastic_ springboard for our technology. Realistically speaking, we're already centuries ahead of the Forerunner Ecumene at the height of its power. The diversity of species we have helps with that, too."

Before Ahsoka could comment, the ship-wide intercom buzzed to life, Cutter's voice reverberating throughout the vessel. "All hands, we will be arriving over Mandalore in thirty minutes. Ground Teams report to Hanger 17 for departure."

"That's our cue." Kathryn said, standing up and tossing her handgun back into Slipspace. As she did so, her armor shifted out of the void to assemble itself over her body. She left the helmet in the slipstream for now.

XXXXX

Kathryn jolted in her seat as the Pelican touched down on the landing pad on the edge of Mandalore's capital city. As the rear door opened, the thick, scorching air flooded into the dropship. Kathryn had heard rumors about what had reduced Mandalore to a scorching wasteland, and none of it was very appealing. An entire warrior culture beaten down to the point of becoming pacifistic. It was a harrowing, and very familiar tale for most Humans of the Milky Way.

As the SPARTANs, Cutter, and Jedi descended the ramp, they were met by a guard sporting the ornate armor of the Mandalorian Honor Guard. "Welcome to Mandalore, Master Jedi, Admiral Cutter." The Guard spoke from behind his metallic helmet. "The Duchess awaits you."

"Far be it from us to keep the Duchess waiting." Obi-Wan said, smirking.

After boarding an open-topped land speeder, the guard keyed a location into the navigation system, sending the vehicle forward into the city. The vast, blocky expanse of buildings interconnected with the dome structure that kept out the harmful solar radiation gave the Mandalorian capital a very… familiar feel for the Milky Way natives.

After landing before a large, ornate structure, they were led inside by the Mandalorian honor guard. The internals of the palace were glassy, allowing the natural light to filter in. Rays of light glanced off of the reflective surfaces of the stone floor. At the far end of the room sat a throne of sorts, the back of which reached to the ceiling.

"General Kenobi…" A voice called out from somewhere to the left, the acoustics of the throne room creating an echo effect. Everyone glanced over, spotting a rather tall man with greying hair, dressed in formal white and gold robes.

"Thank you for meeting with us, Prime Minister Almec." Kenobi said, shaking the older man's hand as he approached.

"I welcome you all as a servant of the people." Almec said, looking to the Jedi, SPARTANs, and Cutter. "However… I am troubled by the false rumors that brought you here. Mandalore would never turn against the Republic. Duchess Satine values peace more than her own life."

"Oh, I'm quite aware of the Duchess' views." Kenobi said, the slightest hint of sarcasm behind his words.

"Master Kenobi, Mandalore's violent past is far behind us." Almec responded, turning to face the Jedi Master. "All of our warriors were exiled to our moon, they died out years ago."

"You exiled your warriors?" Cutter interjected. "Based on what?"

"Whether or not they would lay down their arms and accept peace." Almec explained.

"Hmm…" Cutter hummed in response.

"General Keobi…" All eyes turned to the Duchess, wearing her ornate blue dress and up-done hair adorned with decorative pieces fitted into the neckline of her dress. "My shining Jedi Knight come to the rescue again."

Anakin glanced over to his Master, an eyebrow raised. Obi-Wan pointedly ignored this. "After all of these years, you're as beautiful as ever, Duchess."

"Kind words from a man who accuses me of treachery." Satine snapped.

"I am not accusing you of personal wrongdoing, Duchess." Obi-Wan recovered, shifting the conversation back onto the topic at hand. "One of the military bases occupied by both the Galactic Coalition and the Republic was attacked by a Mandalorian saboteur." Obi-Wan accented his point by revealing a Holocom, activating it and displaying security footage of the figure in Mandalorian armor.

"I have a difficult time believing this…" Almec spoke up. "Where is this prisoner now? No Mandalorian would engage in such violence."

"He killed himself, rather than submit to our forces." Alice answered.

"Every one of my people is as trustworthy as I am." Satine declared, glaring down Cutter, the SPARTANs, and Obi-Wan. "Clearly, the Senate ordered this investigation because you lot are interested in intervening in our affairs."

"This investigation was ordered by the Jedi Council and GC High Command." Cutter retorted, cutting the Duchess off.

"Hmm… I stand corrected." Satine relented. "General Kenobi, perhaps we could take a walk through the city?" She held her hand out, expectantly.

"Of course, Duchess." Obi-Wan responded, walking over to her throne, taking her hand, and helping her down the stairs.

"The rest of you are free to roam the city… under guard." Satine declared, looking to the Jedi, SPARTANs, and Cutter.

XXXXX

"Kat, are you in position?" Alice asked, the sound of shrieking and surprised civilians coming over her end of the communication.

"Copy." Kathryn responded, forming her Light Rifle in her hands.

"Do you have the target?" Alice asked.

"Copy, bald man running from Kenobi." Kathryn responded. With a deep, slow release of breath and a methodical trigger pull, a bolt of Hard Light streaked through the dry air of Mandalore, spearing through the man's leg. "Confirmed hit." Kathryn called into her communicator.

"As much as I appreciate the overwatch, SPARTANs, you've startled the locals." Obi-Wan's voice crackled to life over the comms. "Get down here."

Kathryn sighed, keying her armor's Slipspace module. A portal opened up just in front of her, allowing her to step through. After the short "dip" into the immaterial realm of Slipspace, she landed on metallic boots just beside Obi-Wan, the rest of Gamma joining her a moment later.

Alice landed beside her Jedi counterpart, looking over her shoulder at the sound of footfalls. She saw Duchess Satine running over, a look of surprise and disgust in her eye as she saw the man's bloodied leg, mangled by the bolt of Hard Light from Kathryn's rifle.

Kathryn saw the wounded man reach into his pocket with a trembling hand, revealing the grip of a compact blaster pistol. With no hesitation, she raised her rifle and fired again, this time striking him through the forehead, burning a hole clean through. The bolt splashed harmlessly against the metal ground after passing through his skull. All of the SPARTANs heard the terrified cries of civilians that were watching from the upper level.

"What is the meaning of this?!" Satine demanded, storming over to Obi-Wan and the four SPARTANs.

"The SPARTANs were doing their duty." Obi-Wan answered. "This is the man that planted the bomb."

"And the answer was to kill him?" Satine asked.

"Soldiers weigh the value of every life they take, Duchess." Alice answered, turning around and ordering her helmet back into the Slipstream.

"Who are you to judge the value of life, Soldier?" Satine asked.

"That's quite enough." Obi-Wan intervened. "The SPARTANs were acting in your defense, as well as my own. It's obviously not safe here, we should return to the Palace."

"I agree…" Satine said, turning on a heel and motioning for her guards to follow.

XXXXX

"Duchess, the most sensible course of action would be for you to come to Coruscant and plead your case to the Senate." Obi-Wan explained.

"I have SPARTANs that are more than capable of investigating the threat on your moon." Cutter added. "If this sympathizer to the Death Watch really was from Concordia, then it's our best starting point. SPARTAN Fireteam Ares can remain here while _In Spirit of Fire_ escorts the diplomatic vessel to Coruscant."

"Are you proposing a military occupation, Admiral?" Almec asked.

"Four SPARTANs is hardly an occupation." Cutter retorted. "They would report any findings to your government first, the GC and Republic second."

"Very well… I'll go to Coruscant." Satine relented. "I expect any findings from your men to be reported to me immediately."

"I'll make the arrangements." Cutter agreed.

XXXXX

Ahsoka watched Kathryn sit down on the edge of her bunk, her hair damp from her recent shower. She had exchanged her normal black full-body suit for the basic white fatigues that all GC personnel are issued. "Master Kenobi looked uncomfortable when we got back here." Ahsoka commented, happy that he and Anakin were on the diplomatic vessel with the Duchess.

"No kidding…" Kathryn responded, pulling her boots on. "You could practically feel the sexual tension."

"Wait… what?" Ahsoka asked.

"You couldn't see it?" Kathryn asked. "Just the way they talked to each other."

Ahsoka actually managed a laugh. "So I'm not the only one who felt that?"

"Oh god, no." Kathryn responded, smiling. "Willow and Jane wouldn't stop laughing about it over the neural network we all share."

Ahsoka smiled. "The Duchess sure is… interesting."

Kathryn shrugged. "She's an idealist… a very arrogant idealist."

"What do you mean?" Ahsoka asked.

"Apparently she doesn't know that SPARTANs have augmented senses." Kathryn answered. "Alice and I overheard her venting to the Prime Minister about how we were 'little more than mindless killers encased in shiny metal armor'."

"I disagree with her on that, definitely." Ahsoka commented. "You're soldiers, not murderers."

"To her, those seem to be one in the same." Kathryn said, leaning against the metal wall next to her bunk. "She seems to think that fanatics can be reasoned with."

"You don't think that there's a diplomatic solution to their issue?" Ahsoka asked.

"The entire history of my species tells me that the only solution to the Death Watch issue is an army, not an idealist." Kathryn answered. "She thinks that she can reason with fanatics, when she's such a fanatical pacifist that she isn't open to reason herself. Not to say that the Republic should intervene, of course. That would only lend legitimacy to the Death Watch's cause and turn them from terrorists to freedom fighters. This matter should be left to Mandalore."

"I think your true calling might me politics, Kathryn." Ahsoka said with a laugh.

Kathryn laughed. "Ugh… I'll leave that stuff to my mother. I can't stomach most politicians."

"What _is_ your last name, Kat?" Ahsoka asked, genuinely curious. "I've known you for a while, and I still don't know your last name."

"Lockhart." Kathryn answered. "Kathryn Miranda Lockhart."

Ahsoka processed this information for a moment. "Wait… Like… _President_ Lockhart?"

Kathryn smiled. "The same one."

"Whoa…" Ahsoka said, stunned. "I'm friends with the GC President's daughter…"

Kathryn shrugged. "I don't tell people my last name for that _exact_ reason. People get so caught up in my name that they don't even bother looking at _me_."

"It's just cool." Ahsoka said, smiling. "Lockhart or not, you're still my friend."

"Thanks, Ahsoka." Kathryn smiled.

XXXXX

Aiter'Vadum stood on his platform in the Senate chambers, watching the proceedings with a clinical eye. To the veteran Sangheili warrior, it was no surprise that this galaxy was so dysfunctional. There were so many species, all of them pushing their own individual agendas in the Senate in regards to this war. It was a wonder that over 1500 worlds had managed to stay neutral with all of this bickering and backstabbing that took place in these chambers. He was currently watching the Chancellor indirectly accuse a pacifist of raising an army to assist the enemy.

"You would strip our right to self-determination!" Duchess Satine declared, watching the Senate's agreeing murmurs roll throughout the chambers at the prospect of an occupation of Mandalore.

"It's quite clear that the Death Watch is a far greater threat than we anticipated." Palpatine answered the Duchess' cry. "A threat of this magnitude can only be answered with a peacekeeping force."

Aiter had watched these proceedings for the better part of four hours, and the slow grind was starting to wear down on his carefully-honed nerves. With a quick, graceful swipe to the control console, his platform drifted toward the center of the chambers, all eyes turning to the towering Sangheili. The Senate fell into silence for the first time in hours as the Sangheili began speaking, his voice carrying out even over the Chancellor's usually subdued tone. "It is quite clear that the Senate is divided on this matter, and rightfully so." He began, looking around the Chambers. "It is rather alarming to see this democratic institution calling for the occupation of a neutral system. The establishment of a military presence on Mandalore, a world located dangerously close to the constantly-shifting front of this conflict, would make it a prime target for the Separatists to strike against."

"The occupation of a neutral, peaceful people goes directly against our Mantle of Responsibility. It is for this reason that if the Republic Senate elects to establish a military presence on Mandalore for 'peacekeeping', then the Galactic Coalition will lend no forces to this endeavor."

"You claim to be our partner in this conflict, yet you will not help us keep the peace here?" The Kaminoan Senator asked, her accusatory tone calling out to Aiter.

"Our goal in this galaxy is to bring an end to the Confederacy of Independent Systems, not occupy worlds." Aiter countered, keeping a cool and collected tone. He had learned that the best way to get under the skin of the Senators was to keep calm, and it was a weakness that he had exploited on several occasions. "This goal is not accomplished by stationing soldiers that could be dispatched to the front on a peaceful world. It is accomplished by striking at the heart of your foe."

"You must understand, Field Marshall…" Palpatine began, looking to the Sangheili. "Wars are not as… asymmetric and flexible as they are with your technology. We are limited by hyperspace lanes, making it impossible to make a direct jump to the heart of Separatist space."

"Limitations imposed by your technological basis are hardly an excuse for occupation of a world, much less a peaceful one." Aiter answered. "The Coalition's stance on the matter will remain."

"Very well, Field Marshall…" Palpatine responded. "The Republic will respect the Coalition's desire to remain separate from the peacekeeping efforts on Mandalore. We will hold the vote on this matter in the next session of the Senate."

XXXXX

Kathryn sighed as she stepped out of the Senate Chambers with Ahsoka and Padme. She had spectated on the talks from the sidelines with Ahsoka. Anakin met up with the trio near the exit of the Naboo platform, walking alongside them towards the exit of the Senate building. "Anakin, you should convince the Jedi Council to meet with Chancellor Palpatine and try to prevent this!"

"You know that's not my role, Padme." Anakin responded, shrugging.

"Why not?" Ahsoka asked. "We're Jedi Knights, isn't it our job to advise the Chancellor on matters like this?"

"Didn't I ask you to teach Ahsoka about politics, Padme?" Anakin asked, a small smile on his face.

"I was hoping this Senate meeting would teach her more than I could with a few words."

"I didn't learn anything, honestly…" Ahsoka admitted. "The Senate spent more time talking about how to prolong the war rather than end it."

"War's complicated, Ahsoka." Anakin explained. "The Separatists believe that the Republic is corrupt, which would make them wrong, and it's the duty of the Jedi to restore order to the galaxy."

"Restore order by occupying neutral worlds?" Padme asked, looking to Anakin with a cocked eyebrow. "C'mon Ahsoka."

"Where are you going?" Anakin asked, seeing Ahsoka and the SPARTAN start following Padme towards the exit.

"You wanted me to teach Ahsoka about politics, so that's what I'm going to do." Padme answered, smirking.

XXXXX

Padme sighed, looking out to the skyline of Coruscant longingly. "If only I could talk with Senator Bonteri…" Padme said, turning around to look at Ahsoka and Kathryn, who were standing in her office, waiting for Padme to pick up the lapse in conversation.

"Who's that?" Ahsoka asked.

"A senator in the CIS…" Padme answered.

"Your friend's a Separatist?" Kathryn asked.

"I was close with many of the Separatists that left the Republic, especially her. Contrary to what the Senate and the media would have you think, they're far more than simple pawns."

"Well, if you think that negotiation is the right thing to do, let's talk to her." Ahsoka suggested.

"The Senate's made it illegal. Official meetings would legitimize the CIS." Padme explained.

"It's a shame you can't hold more peaceful talks…" Ahsoka lamented.

"Like you'd know about 'peaceful', Miss 'aggressive negotiations.'" Kathryn joked, earning a smile from Padme and Ahsoka.

Padme's smile suddenly turned more serious as a thought struck her. "That gives me an idea…" Padme began, turning to Ahsoka. "You're a Jedi, which gives you special clearance…"

"Right…" Ahsoka nodded, beckoning Padme to continue.

"And Jedi are allowed to travel to neutral worlds like Mandalore, where we could board a cargo ship for Separatist space." Padme finished.

"Are you suggesting that I use my status as a Jedi to smuggle you behind enemy lines?"

"It's just that… You could get me through to meet with her, and I haven't seen her or her family in so long…"

"Relax, I'll help you." Ahsoka soothed Padme's nerves. "I think Kat's in too."

"If I can get clearance from Admiral Cutter, you can count me in." Kathryn said, nodding. "Even if the talks fail, the intel would be a huge gain for our efforts."

"Alright…" Ahsoka smiled. "Where we heading?"

"Raxus." Padme explained, gesturing for Ahsoka and Kathryn to follow her.

XXXXX

"Let me make sure I'm understanding you, SPARTAN Kathryn…" Cutter began, leaning against the back of his chair as he addressed the SPARTAN and Jedi Padawan before him. "You're asking for my clearance to undertake an operation deep behind enemy lines, an operation that could very well see your death or capture in the event that you walk into a trap?"

"Yes, sir." Kathryn answered, nodding. "The intelligence we could gain from this operation would serve our future operations against Separatist assets well."

"I'm not disagreeing with that point, SPARTAN, what concerns me is your safety." Cutter redirected. "I understand that the fifth generation SPARTAN Program is… leaps and bounds greater than the second generation that I am familiar with, but this operation has a certain risk that concerns me. The capture or killing of a SPARTAN behind enemy lines could severely damage our relations with the Republic, especially if this operation is kept secret from the Supreme Chancellor and Republic Military Command. Our treaty dictates that our forces are to work together, not separate."

"Sir, permission to speak freely?" Kathryn asked.

"Granted, SPARTAN." Cutter nodded.

"The Senate is prolonging this war intentionally." Kathryn explained. "Instead of focusing on the more… domestic matters such as the Republic's crumbling economy, they're commissioning contracts for millions more clones. The Republic's army has already tripled in size since the arrival of the Coalition, and the contracts that were signed in recent Senate hearings have doubled that number again. This, along with the recent motion to occupy the neutral Mandalore system sets a dangerous precedent. This is no fault of the Senators, it's a belief that the Separatists cannot be reasoned with or negotiated with. If we were to prove that this was not the case, peace talks could begin and we could see a peaceful end to this conflict."

Cutter seemed thoughtful, eyeing the SPARTAN up as if he were evaluating her words alongside her very being. "You're right…" He relented. "The UNSC found itself in a similar situation during the Human-Covenant War. We thought the species of the Covenant mindless animals, and wrote off negotiations. Thankfully, we were wrong, and I believe that the Senate is wrong in their assumptions." With a heavy sigh, Cutter began again. "I'm clearing the mission, but the _slightest_ sign of danger and I'm pulling you out, is that understood?"

"Aye, sir." Kathryn nodded.

"Good…" Cutter stood upright again. "I'm giving you clearance for this operation, as well as the necessary clearance to deactivate your Neural Lance's tracking module. I'll have Fireteam Gamma informed, but this operation will be placed under GCOMI jurisdiction."

"Thank you, sir." Kathryn gave a quick salute, which Cutter returned.

"Good luck, SPARTAN." Cutter smirked. "Mantle guide you."

 **A/N:**

 **A bit of a shorter chapter, merging two arcs from the Clone Wars into one. Expect the story to take a very sharp turn away from Star Wars canon** ** _very_** **soon. I've got several ideas to bring some more… EU elements into the story.**

 **If anyone's at all interested, I've set up a Discord server for anyone that wants to play games, shitpost, talk about stuff, or just hang out. You can find the link to it on my bio page here on FF. I've been trying to set aside time to play some games with readers in-between writing, work, and being a GM for a Shadowrun campaign. Hopefully I can get that working soon.**

 **As always,**

 **-TallYapflip**


	16. Chapter 15: The Prophets of Retribution

**Chapter 15: The Prophets of Retribution**

Lasky smirked as he watched the final arm of the Andromeda Ark near completion. The world-building efforts on the final stretch of habitat were nearing the final stages as the artificial atmosphere was generated by the machinery of the Ark. "Lord of Admirals, the Ark's systems are reporting active on all but one arm." The Sensors officer declared over the light hum of bridge conversation. "The Seed Fleet is docking with the shipyards now, and civilians are being brought onto the installation."

"Excellent." Lasky nodded. "Alert all GC fleet assets that their new home station is ready."

"Right away."

Lasky turned back to the observation window, gazing out to the megastructure that had been manufactured. Gas giants and small stars alike had been consumed for this project, and it had finally paid off. The GC had a home just outside Andromeda, and a means to monitor the galaxy once they were finally able to remove their forces. With any luck, that would be soon.

XXXXX

Kathryn stepped off of the ramp, the confines of the small civilian liner giving way to the temperate air of Raxus. The world was certainly beautiful, seeming almost like Earth's more temperate regions locked in a perpetual autumn. It was almost… calming, were it not for the B1 battle droids that were asking for the identification of disembarking passengers.

Kathryn quietly resisted the urge to call upon her armor and weapons to tear these droids apart as Ahsoka and Padme stepped out behind her. Just as a pair of droids were approaching them, a tall human woman with grey eyes and brunette hair approached them, a small smile on her face. "Padme…" She said, pulling her friend into a quick hug. "It's so good to see you again."

"I just wish it didn't need all of the secrecy…" Padme lamented. "Ahsoka, Kathryn, this is Mina Bonteri. She was my mentor when I was growing up on Naboo."

"You're a Separatist?" Ahsoka asked, earning a chuckle from Mina.

"Well of course, my dear. What were you expecting?" She allowed herself a small smile. "Now come, I have a transport waiting."

The short shuttle ride from the landing pad to the Bonteri Estate on the outskirts of Raxulon was taken up mostly by Padme and Mina catching up. Ahsoka simply sat in her seat, spending half of her time watching the city whiz by through the window and the other half watching Bonteri out of the corner of her eye. Kathryn was a bit more overt in her distrust, but kept her expression blank and professional.

As the small shuttle landed on the pad just outside the estate, connected to it by a tall staircase, everyone stood up and disembarked, meeting that warm air again. Kathryn immediately spotted a young boy near the top of the stairwell, watching the transport land with his arms folded across his chest. "Lux, get down here and help our guests with their luggage!" Mina called out to the young boy.

Lux descended the staircase, meeting Padme first. "Please, allow me." He gestured to the small luggage bag she was carrying. Padme gave him a warm smile as she handed her bag over to him. As he approached Kathryn, he was slightly taken-aback by the sheer height of this woman. She truly towered over him. Stranger yet… she had nothing other than the clothes on her back. He elected to bypass the massive woman, and offered to take Ahsoka's bag. "Let me help you." He offered.

Ahsoka reflexively jerked her hand away. "I can handle it." She declared, sending a glare in his direction as she continued following behind Padme. Kathryn smirked as she heard Ahsoka's pace quicken slightly, coming to walk alongside her.

XXXXX

"Anything to report?" Alice asked the Sangheili Honor Guard that stood steadfast by the gates of the GC Embassy. "Admiral Cutter mentioned a trip on the motion trackers?"

"Yes…" The Sangheili nodded, shifting the weight of his body slightly as he adjusted his stance. "One of the cleaner droids wandered into one of the diplomatic offices. It was merely a false alert, SPARTAN."

The moment the Sangheili finished his statement, a series of explosions rocked the GC Embassy. Glass shards were sent out in all directions as multiple levels throughout the massive skyscraper went up in smoke. Alice and the Sangheili reflexively flinched as the suddenness of the explosion caught them off-guard. "By the Mantle…" The Sangheili muttered, grabbing hold of his Light Rifle.

Civilians all around the square screamed as the explosions echoed throughout the upper levels of Coruscant. Senate Guards rushed over from their posts, and the few GC Honor Guards guarding the perimeter immediately darted towards the building.

Alice called her armor into existence, the plates assembling themselves over her body. "Admiral Cutter, this is SPARTAN Alice!" She shouted into her communicator. "Multiple detonations in the Embassy, we need forces planetside to secure the area!"

"ODSTs en-route, SPARTAN!" Cutter responded. "Secure the embassy, check for survivors."

"Copy." Alice answered, sprinting into the building alongside the Sangheili guard, armor assembling itself over her as she ran.

XXXXX

"He's grown so much, Mina…" Padme commented, looking out the ornately paned window at Lux, who was sitting on the staircase, looking out at the distant city.

"Time won't stop, even if we are at war." Mina shrugged, walking over and handing a glass of some unknown liquor to Padme. "I'm afraid the war is… shaping his life."

"A shame…" Kathryn piped up from the other side of the room, standing by Ahsoka. "With any luck, the war will be over soon."

"I wouldn't be so sure…" Mina looked to the SPARTAN. "Even with the Republic's new ally, the war's just as stagnant as it has been."

"Wars have a nasty habit of changing when you least expect it." Kathryn offered.

"With all due respect. Maybe now we can end the war that the Separatists created." Ahsoka said.

"Ahsoka…" Padme began.

"It's quite alright." Mina placated. "That's a very polarized point of view, my dear. Many of us in the Separatist Senate feel the same way about the Republic _and_ the Jedi… Lux's father was the same way."

"Well… I'd love to speak with him, maybe change his perspective?" Ahsoka offered.

"If only…" Mina sighed. "One year ago, next week, he was setting up a field base when Clones and those… Coalition Marines attacked. He fought bravely in self-defense… but was killed."

Ahsoka immediately regretted bringing the topic up, a guilty feeling welling up in her gut. "I should… get some air." She offered, heading for the door to the courtyard.

Kathryn followed behind, allowing herself a moment to turn around. "If it's any consolation… this war's a pointless waste of life, on both sides. I'm sorry for your loss."

As the SPARTAN followed behind Ahsoka, heading outside, Mina turned back to Padme. She took a moment to compose herself before speaking. "She seems… very principled."

"Which one?" Padme asked, earning a small chuckle from Mina.

"The tall one." She answered. "She's certainly well-built, far taller than most. Who is she?"

"A friend of Ahsoka's, she insisted on coming along." Padme half-lied. She had no idea what Kathryn's restrictions were when it came to information, so she offered what little she could without putting her in danger.

Outside, Ahsoka and Kathryn were heading down the staircase leading to the courtyard. Ahsoka simply stared down at the steps before her, and all Kat wanted to do was offer her a few kind words. Seeing that Lux was nearby, however, she remained silent.

As the two stepped past him, Kathryn gave him a quick, sideways glance. He seemed to be eyeing Ahsoka's lightsaber, which she wore on her hip. "You're a Jedi, aren't you?" He asked, catching her attention.

"Yes… why do you ask?" Ahsoka asked, turning around.

"Before the war, I was always told that the Jedi were good. Defenders of the peace." Lux answered.

"And now?" Ahsoka asked.

"I don't know anymore." Lux admitted. He cast a look over to Kathryn. "And you're a mystery… you're unarmed, but you're with a Jedi. You're… well, huge. Your eyes almost glow. You're Galactic Coalition, aren't you?"

"Perceptive." Kathryn offered. She didn't show it, but she silently debated bugging out. She could at least take Padme's word that Mina was trustworthy, but Lux was a rogue element. She wasn't even sure if Mina even knew.

"Well, we're the first Jedi and Coalition soldier you've ever met… we're not so bad, are we?" Ahsoka offered, leaning against the stone guardrail.

Kathryn watched as Lux started eyeing Ahsoka with a bit more than just curiosity. He seemed to focus on her more… physical traits. "No… not bad at all."

Ahsoka caught this too, rolling her eyes. "No matter where you go, boys are always the same. Republic or Separatist."

"Well, I'm the first Separatist _you've_ met. I'm not so bad, right?" Lux tried.

"No… could do without the ogling, though." Ahsoka stated.

Kathryn resisted the urge to chuckle, but found herself distracted by an Alpha-Level Ping from her Neural Lance. She opened the message, the words reading out before her eyes as the data was brought to her retinal implant. A sickening sense of dread washed over her as she scanned the message from Admiral Cutter.

 _SPARTAN K-792,_

 _Three Milky Way-Standard Hours ago, eight bombs were detonated in the Coalition's Embassy on Coruscant. OMI has confirmed that these bombs were contained in infiltrator droids disguised as janitorial units. With this, it is highly unlikely that peace talks will be considered by the Republic Senate. The Emergency Session held just one hour ago confirms this, as previously-undecided Senators voiced their support for expanding the war effort._

 _In this attack, forty six personnel were killed and one hundred and twelve were wounded, including Ambassador Aiter and his staff of diplomats. The Office has cleared the amendment of mission protocol. If you have the opportunity, you are cleared to engage Separatist Military leaders._

 _The Office expects you three back by the next standard day. We will be returning the favor in twenty four hours._

 _-Vice-Admiral James Cutter_

Ahsoka seemed to notice that Kathryn had zoned out for a moment. She had seen this before, and it meant that she was doing… something with her neural implant. "Kat? What's going on?"

Kathryn took a deep breath. "There's been a bombing on Coruscant, the GC Embassy." A look of shock and terror overtook Ahsoka. "Forty six dead, over a hundred injured."

"You think it was us?" Lux asked, confused.

"We _know_ it was you." Kathryn deadpanned. "I need to update the Senator."

XXXXX

Try as she might, Kathryn simply could not convince Padme that these peace talks were no longer an option. So now here she was, sitting in the Parliament house of her enemy, the same enemy that had taken the lives of her people. Non-combatants at that. She silently cursed the fact that Dooku was only here in holographic form… it saved his head from being ventilated before the entire Separatist Parliament. Padme had at least relented on the need to be off Raxus within the day, unless they wanted to be caught in the GC's retribution strike.

Kathryn watched as the Separatist Parliament voted overwhelmingly in favor of peace, despite the recent bombing of an Embassy on Coruscant. She looked over the parliament's floor. None of these creatures were worth breaching her operation's security over. They'd at least get the luxury of _perceived_ security for a few more hours.

XXXXX

Not long after the shuttle bearing Ahsoka, Padme, and Kathryn left for Mandalore, the GC's reprisal slipped into the space surrounding Raxus.

Four Guardian Constructs emerged from the depths of the Slipstream, emerging as individual plates and components from hundreds of small rifts in time and space. The Separatist fleet surrounding Raxus scrambled to form a defense, but it was all in vain.

Just as the first of the Providence-Class Cruisers opened fire on the massive, sentient machines, they unleashed their primary weapon. Four devastating electromagnetic pulses were deployed from each of the Guardians. The fleet in orbit around Raxus was utterly gutted, all of the internal circuitry aboard the vessels fizzled and crackled as it was overloaded. The unshielded Battle Droids of the fleet and on the surface overloaded, many of them either shutting down or self-destructing from the sheer overload.

The electrical grid of Raxus practically collapsed in on itself. The entire world was blanketed in darkness within moments. All security measures, all civilian infrastructure, all vehicles, and every building on the planet shut down. Blasters were rendered inert, communications were shut down, and the entire defense grid was destroyed without a shot being fired.

After the GC's message was broadcasted to the entirety of the CIS, the Guardians simply slipped back into the Slipstream, returning to the Ark in a matter of hours.

XXXXX

"You ordered a Guardian strike?" Ahsoka asked, regarding Cutter and the SPARTANs in confusion. "What's that mean?"

The group was sitting around a small conference table locked away in one of _In Spirit of Fire_ 's internal decks. Joining the Admiral, SPARTANs, and Jedi Padawan was a Sangheili in ornate, steely-gray runic armor. His observant amber eyes scanned the table in sweeping, perceptive gazes. The Sangheili's baritone, perfect speech rang out over the table. "It means, young one, that the Galactic Coalition has answered the Separatist escalation of the war." He began, neck craned to look to Ahsoka. "Our people, disconnected from this war and serving only as a diplomatic envoy to the Republic, became the targets of this cowardly Separatist alliance. We have reduced the star system that Raxus inhabits to the late steel age."

"How…?" Ahsoka asked in bewilderment.

"The Guardian constructs serve the role that their name would imply… they are the guardians of life and the enforcers of the Mantle in our galaxy." The Arbiter explained. "We have decided that the Separatists will pay for the spilt blood of innocents, not just with the economic costs of restoring their capital world, but they will pay by holding the knowledge that the Coalition can, and will strike at anywhere we choose, at any time we choose." He placed his hands on the conference table, lacing his fingers together. "The electromagnetic pulse released by the Guardians has rendered all powered systems on Raxus inert. This leaves the Separatists with a choice: escalate the war, or repair their home."

"That's… terrifying." Ahsoka wondered, the implications of an entire system's electrical grid being shut down in a matter of moments hitting her. "Won't innocent people on Raxus suffer because of this?"

"Of course." The Arbiter nodded. "This decision was not made lightly. This is the first time that the Coalition has ever deployed the Guardians for such a purpose. We hope it to be the last. The Parliament has sent our ultimatum to end the war. Should the Separatists accept, I can guarantee that this will be the final deployment of the Guardians."

"What is this ultimatum, sir?" Alice asked.

"The complete, unconditional surrender of the Confederacy of Independent Systems to the Galactic Coalition and the Galactic Republic." Arbiter Moramee explained. "We have demonstrated that their use of battle droids is their greatest weakness, and that we are unafraid to exploit this weakness."

The meeting found itself interrupted by the appearance of Preston Cole on the table, his small Hard Light projection fizzling into existence. "Apologies for the interruption, Arbiter, but it looks like the Separatists have given their answer."

"They have?" Moramee asked, leaning forward. "Please, explain."

"Republic observation units report that a massive armada is en-route to Shilli, a neutral system." Cole explained. Ahsoka froze up as Cole ran through the remainder of the scouting report.

"Hmm…" The Arbiter hummed. "Forward this information to High Command, notify them that I will personally lead the counter-attack." He turned to Cutter, his mandibles clenched in a gesture of his sincerity and bottled-up rage. "Admiral Cutter, muster your fleet. We will relieve the natives of Shilli."

"Of course, Arbiter." Cutter nodded. Cutter never thought that he'd be taking orders from an Elite, and it was a strange experience.

"Excellent." Moramee stood upright, the cloak that bore his House's emblem flowing down to his side, concealing one of his two ceremonial Type-1 Energy Swords. "I will retire to my ship." With that, the Arbiter turned and headed through the door.

Ahsoka almost felt like she needed to vomit. She had such hazy memories of Shilli, yet she still felt that inexplicable attachment to the homeworld. The idea that the Separatists were targeting a neutral system, her _home_ , both sickened her and enraged her. Ahsoka gasped as a familiar voice called out to her. "Ahsoka…?"

She immediately shot her head over to her right, seeing a concerned-looking Kathryn. "Ex-Excuse me…" She said, standing up and making for the door.

Kathryn resisted the urge to immediately stand up and follow her friend, but restrained herself. She was sitting across from her commanding officer, and _her_ commanding officer as well. "Is there a problem?" Cutter asked, confused.

"Shilli is… Ahsoka's home." Kathryn explained.

Cutter nodded in understanding, a grim look on his face. "Ah…" Cutter awkwardly cleared his throat before continuing. "Well, you're dismissed, SPARTANs."

Wordlessly, the four SPARTANs stood, arms bent in a salute before stepping out into the metallic halls of the _Infinity_ -class. As they stepped into the barren hallway, populated only by closed doors and bright lights, Alice placed a hand on Kathryn's shoulder. In a rare, heart-felt tone, she spoke to her team's medical officer. "Kat… you should go talk with her. I'll take these two down to the C-Decks for a while."

Kathryn offered a sincere smile to her superior. "Thanks, Alice." With that, Kathryn headed off to find Ahsoka. She had an idea, and she hoped that she was right.

XXXXX

Kathryn stepped into her barracks. Just as she thought, Ahsoka was sitting on her cot, knees brought up to her chin. She saw a thin trail of moisture running down Ahsoka's cheek. She felt a pang in her chest, seeing the revelation that her home was coming under attack hit the young Jedi before her. Ahsoka turned her head slightly, spotting Kathryn out of the corner of her eye. Kathryn could see that her eyes were indeed red. "Hey, Kat…" She muttered.

"Ahsoka…" Kathryn softly offered, sitting down next to her. "You alright?"

"No…" Ahsoka admitted. "My Homeworld's being attacked and I don't know _why_ I'm crying…"

"What do you mean 'you don't know'?" Kathryn asked, looking down at Ahsoka.

"I haven't been on Shilli since I was _three_!" Ahsoka declared, clenching her fists in exasperation. "Fourteen years!"

"Ahsoka…" Kathryn began. "It's your home. You were _born_ there. Don't you think that there's other Togrutans in the galaxy, some who've probably never even _seen_ Shilli, and they'd be feeling the same thing, if not worse?"

"But I'm a Jedi!" Ahsoka half-shouted. "I shouldn't feel sad, I shouldn't feel angry… I feel angry, and I keep getting _angrier_ because I can't _stop_ being angry! It's against the Code, and I can't stop!"

Kathryn sighed. She had read over much of the Jedi code during her down time. Frankly, it sickened her, but she tolerated it… up until right now. "Ahsoka… I have a bit of a bone to pick with that Code you Jedi all follow." Ahsoka looked up to Kathryn, surprised by the strength and passion in her tone. "What the hell makes you any different from the droids you're fighting if you adhere to this damn code?" She asked, rhetorically. "You suppress your emotions, you suppress your… humanity, for lack of a better word, for what?"

"Strong emotions like hatred, rage, passion… and love are all paths to the Dark Side." Ahsoka defended.

"What sounds more like the 'Dark Side' to you?" Kathryn retorted. "Reducing yourself to a soulless, lifeless machine that's impartial in everything it does… like a goddamn droid; or embracing the fact that you're a sentient creature with the ability to express emotions without letting them force you down?" Kathryn let out a heavy sigh.

"The Code doesn't make us like droids!" Ahsoka half-shouted her defense. "It protects us!"

"Really?" Kathryn asked. "Have you ever seen Windu or Shaak Ti ever even _crack_ a smile? Have you ever heard them laugh, cry? Have you ever seen an expression that _wasn't_ robotic indifference on their faces?" Try as she might, as much as Ahsoka racked her brain for a counter-argument… she simply couldn't. She returned her attention to Kathryn after she let out a sigh. "It breaks my goddamn heart to see this…" She began anew, shaking her head. "I get it, you were raised by the Order, and it's all you've ever really known, but that doesn't mean that they way is the right way simply by default."

"What, it breaks your heart that the Order does what it does?" Ahsoka asked.

"No, it fucking _kills_ me that a seventeen year old girl isn't allowed to feel sad that her _homeworld_ is being attacked." Kathryn answered. "Or angry, for that matter. If I got news today that Earth was going to be attacked, I'd be punching through bulkheads! According to your Order, that's wrong. If I got news that my sister was killed, I'd be in tears. Same story!"

"The Jedi ask you to throw away the very thing that separates you from machines, the fact that you can _feel_. All because they're afraid of this mystical Dark Side crap. Your emotions are what make you… _you_. The Mantle tells us that life needs to be defended and protected, and your Code seems perfectly content with throwing away the very thing that makes people _alive_. _That's_ what breaks my heart. The fact that your Code's made you think that the core part of being a living, thinking, _feeling_ creature is inherently bad. What you are isn't bad, as long as you don't let your emotions control you. _That's_ what sets you apart from the likes of Windu, Shaak Ti, and Dooku. You, Anakin, and Obi-Wan are the only Jedi that I've ever seen smile, laugh, and act like a normal person! I don't want to see you broken by this damned Code…"

Ahsoka looked at the SPARTAN in amazement. Frankly, the fact that a super-soldier had just given her what felt like a full lecture on morality and the nature of being astounded her. She spoke with such a passion, such a… truth that Ahsoka couldn't help but consider it. And as she considered it more and more… she couldn't _not_ see the truth in her words. "I'm sorry…" Kathryn said, shaking Ahsoka out of her thoughts. "I took that a bit far."

"No…" Ahsoka interrupted. "You're right."

Kathryn smiled. "Really? I thought for a moment that I just made you hate me."

"No… that opened my eyes." Ahsoka offered a smile in return. "Skyguy always seems to skirt around the Code. Maybe that's something I should start doing… seemed to work out for him."

"And you're not crying anymore…" Kathryn noticed, smiling as she placed a hand on Ahsoka's shoulder.

Ahsoka blinked at the realization, the smile on her face broadening. She immediately pulled Kathryn into a hug. "Thanks, Kat."

"No problem, Ahsoka." Kathryn returned the gesture in kind.

Ahsoka soon found herself released from the hug, removing herself a moment later. She couldn't quite place it, but she felt a certain… something deep down. She had no idea what it was, but it was interesting.

 **A/N:**

 **Kinda breaking my 5,000 word minimum rule with this one, but it's been so long since I've given this story some love. Felt only right to get something out there. I can't thank you all enough for sticking with me on this story, despite my horrid update schedule.**

 **As always, I love the reviews you guys leave, even the ones that are made a month since the latest update.**

 **As always,**

 **-TallYapflip**

 **P.S. You can expect the GC to start… stepping up their game in this war a bit. The Guardians were only the beginning ;).**


	17. Chapter 16: Payment

**Chapter 16: Payment**

"Admiral Lasky, thank you for coming on such short notice." President Lockhart looked up from her computer terminal, swiping the Hard Light display away with a quick flick of her wrist.

"Of course, Madame President." Lasky nodded, stepping through the open door. "What did you need?"

"It's about the… instability within the Republic." Lockhart explained, leaning forward and clasping her hands atop her desk. "I've received some interesting reports from Admiral Cutter regarding the Republic Senate's apparent prolonging of the Clone Wars. I was hoping you could shed some light on this?"

"I'll answer what I can." Lasky nodded.

"The driving force behind these pushes to escalate the conflict, and simultaneously keep our military leashed, seems to originate with the supporters of Chancellor Palpatine as well as the Chancellor himself."

"Came as a bit of a surprise to me, to be honest." Lasky began. "The Chancellor himself won the Senate over on his promise of a swift end to the hostilities. No offense intended, Madame President, but he's a politician that was granted immense emergency powers for the duration of the Clone Wars. As a military-minded man, I'm not surprised."

"Give a man and inch, and he'll take a light-year." Lockhart agreed. "How did your report describe the creation of the Clone Army, again?" She asked.

"Its official explanation is full of holes, Madame President." Lasky explained. "According to Kaminoan records, the Jedi Master Sifo-Dyas was the one behind the contract to begin cloning procedures. Stranger yet, the cloning actually began a year after his death, and vastly exceeded the numbers as outlined by the Jedi."

"And the genetic template for the army was a Mandalorian?" Lockhart asked.

"Yes, a Mandalorian bounty hunter by the name of Jango Fett." Lasky affirmed. "According to the Jedi Temple's history, Mandalorians are one of the few groups that are capable of standing against Force-sensitive individuals."

"This practically reeks of subterfuge…" Lockhart muttered, shaking her head. "As much as I'd like to think it's just paranoia, I can't ignore that something just _feels_ wrong with this war. The Republic's forces are better trained, better equipped, and have had nothing but victories against the CIS, even from the beginning of the war."

"I'd recommend the… quiet observation of Republic officials." Lasky offered. "Including the Chancellor."

"Agreed…" Lockhart nodded. "I'll get OMI on it."

XXXXX

The Galactic Coalition battle fleet under the command of Admiral Cutter slipped into real-space near Shilli, the Coalition bearing its real teeth for the first time in the Clone Wars. Two Infinity-Class Dreadnoughts and two smaller Unity-Class Dreadnoughts took up the spearhead formation of the fleet, a formation of twenty Singularity-Class Cruisers, fifteen Nebula-Class Battlecruisers, eighty Orion-Class Frigates, twelve Nebula-Class Battlecruisers, five Pulsar-Class Supercarriers, and one hundred Constellation-Class Light Cruisers taking up position behind the four Dreadnoughts of the Coalition battlegroup.

The dozens of Lucerhulks, Providence-Classes, Banking Clan frigates, and even a Malevolence-Class Dreadnought immediately turned to open fire on the arriving GC fleet.

The orbit around Shilli turned from a black, star-lit void to a blinding flurry of turbolaser fire and Hard Light bolts as the two fleets exchanged fire. Starfighters weaved and danced their way between exchanged volleys to engage their enemies, and the void was occasionally brightened for the briefest moment as a starship exploded, scattering metal shrapnel and its crew in all directions.

Despite the clear technological edge of the Coalition, they were not without losses. The smaller vessels in the fleet were no match for sustained fire from Separatist turbolasers and ion cannons, resulting in hefty losses in the Light Cruiser and Frigate fleets. The Capital Cruisers, Carriers, and Dreadnoughts fared far better due to their immense size, armored plating, and Hard-Light shields. However, for the first time in Coalition history, a Dreadnought was lost in combat.

One of the Unity-Classes became the target for the Malevolence-Class' powerful Ion-based weapon. The weakened shields of the Dreadnought had held against turbolaser fire, ion cannon batteries, and bomber squadrons that managed to squeak by the Coalition's fighter screen, but the Malevolence's broadside-mounted weapon proved too much for the vessel's partially-depleted shielding to handle. The internal systems aboard the dreadnought all failed, the lights scattered across the decks flickering out and fading away. After a few minutes of sustained, focused fire, the armored plating of the vessel gave way. Turbolasers ripped through the armored plating, eventually punching through to the ship's Zero-Point Reactor Core. The core destabilized, resulting in an overload of the Slipspace drive, and the vessel was ripped in two by the resulting tear in the slipstream. Any unfortunate enough to be near the center of the vessel were sucked into the black void of Slipspace, the immense energy of the mirror dimension disintegrating them.

As the Coalition watched one of their flagships return to the void, all of the vessels focused down the Malevolence, obliterating the smaller vessel in a matter of moments. With this, the Separatist lines began to thin, and the Coalition fleet pressed their advantage. Within ten minutes, the Coalition fleet had reduced the remains of the CIS fleet to dust. Salvage vessels were deployed from the three remaining Dreadnoughts of the GC fleet to pick up any life pods, and wounded sub-capital ships limped to their mobile command centers, the Infinity-Classes, for emergency repairs. With that, the Carriers and Dreadnoughts began converging on the nearby garden world of Shilli, the surface burned and scarred from Separatist orbital bombardment.

XXXXX

"Admiral Cutter, we've detected hyperspace jumps on the far side of Shili, unknown vector." The Kig-Yar Sensors officer declared.

"Separatist?" Cutter asked.

"Unknown, the drive signatures are of an older, civilian design." The Kig-Yar answered. "I will cross-reference with Republic data."

"What do you have?" Cutter asked.

"The drive signature matches Zygerrian design with 99.6% certainty." The Kig-Yar responded. "This suggests an… alliance between Zygerria and the Separatists."

Cutter accessed his new Neural Lance, searching the databanks of the GC-wide Battle Net for any information on Zygerria. What he found disgusted him to his core. They were a slaver empire, beaten down by the Republic and Jedi centuries prior. "Order ground forces to begin their operation." Cutter barked. "Comms, link up with the Ark. I need to speak with Lasky."

XXXXX

Ahsoka stood in one of the many hangar bays of _In Spirit of Fire_ , surrounded by GC Marines of all species. While most were Human, the towering Sangheili, fragile-looking yet agile Kig-Yar, powerful Mgalekgolo, short and stout Unggoy, and insectoid Yanme all stood near their Pelican Dropships. All eyes were locked on the Arbiter, standing near the center of the massive hangar as he spoke to the soldiers of the Coalition.

"You have all seen the surface of Shilli." He began, his booming, baritone voice carrying out over the massive room. "The native Togrutans below are, without a doubt, the victims of this war, and we are here to provide them the help that the Republic is unwilling to give!" As the Sangheili around the hangar gave a rumbling war-cry, raising their weapons up, Ahsoka chanced a glance over to the two Jedi Knights that were on the vessel as well. Obi-Wan appeared to be looking at the spectacle with an interested look on his face, while Anakin seemed displeased with the Arbiter's words regarding the Republic. She also glanced over to Fireteam Gamma, who were watching their High-Commander's speech with a sense of pride.

"As I look around to the young faces before me, I think… we are in Hell right now." The Arbiter continued, watching the deployment countdown out of the corner of his eye. "We are not here without reason. As opposed to standing about, watching the life in this galaxy destroy itself as the Republic has, we are fighting to bring these people back from the brink!"

"We can help these people climb out of their Hell… one inch at a time." The Arbiter declared, eyes wandering over the crowd of hundreds of Marines, SPARTANS, and Force Recon. "In the Coalition, we _fight_ for that inch. We tear ourselves, and the universe around us, to pieces for those who cannot. We know, that when we gather our strength… stand as one… and put all of those inches together, that we will be the ones to decide between life and death for those unable to do so themselves!"

"Men and women of all species died, wearing those same uniforms you are now. They fought to save those who could not save themselves." The Arbiter shouted, his mandibles flaring in a gesture of sincerity and heartfelt belief. "Today, that green and blue world beneath us is painted red with the blood of innocents. The Separatists carry malice in their hearts; they destroy families, civilizations, and lives. We will take a lesson from our dead, come together on that world just as we have so many times before, and carry ourselves through the fire and brimstone of Hell to drag the innocent out!"

The hanger shook with the combined shouts, cheers, and war cries of the Marines. Even the SPARTANs to Ahsoka's right joined in, albeit in a bit more of a restrained manner. She couldn't help but feel moved by the Arbiter's shouting speech. No Jedi had ever shown such pride before a battle, such drive to help the innocent, such willingness to lay down their lives to protect _everything_. The more she looked at the GC, the more she saw what she _wanted_ the Jedi to be: protectors, not generals.

"To your transports, Marines!" The Arbiter declared. "I will join you on the ground. Mandle guide us!"

XXXXX

"Go, go, go!" A GC Marine Lieutenant shouted, the Marines, SPARTANs, and Jedi aboard the Pelican pouring out into the battlefield of Shili. The lush grasslands that covered the world had been charred and burned from orbital fire, smoldering ruin left in its wake. In the distance, the capital of Corvala was but a shattered shell of what it once was.

As the ODSTs were dropped during the heated orbital battle, landing zones across the planet had already been secured, and temporary firebases had been set up. Distant battles made themselves known as traces of blaster fire and the streaking gold of Hard Light weapons veered off towards the heavens.

"SPARTAN Team Gamma." The Arbiter called out, striding over to the SPARTANs and Jedi. "Resistance on the ground is minimal, the Separatist Scorched Earth attack relied on orbital bombardment. You are being reassigned from combat operations."

"Sir?" Alice asked.

"You will join the Engineer Corps, World Builders, and First Mechanized Infantry Division on a relief mission to Corvala to recover survivors and render medical care." The Arbiter explained. "Mantle guide you, SPARTANs."

XXXXX

Ahsoka grunted, helping to lift the charred rubble of a demolished building up with Anakin and Obi-Wan. As they pushed the fallen wall aside with the Force, GC Engineers and Combat Medics sprinted over, emerging a few moments later with a few Togrutans carried over their shoulders.

The Mechanized Infantry division had secured the city, sweeping it of the few battle droids that had been marching through, killing every sentient being in sight, and gave the Engineers and World Builders the room they needed to work. The entire miles-long boulevard was filled with GC personnel, all of them working tirelessly to save everyone they could.

Ahsoka glanced over to the SPARTAN team, watching them effortlessly lift an overturned speeder off of a woman, Kathryn immediately kneeling down to treat her wounds. Perhaps Kathryn was more right than she had initially thought… the Jedi were failing to uphold their very purpose: to be guardians. This alien civilization that had jumped into their galaxy seemingly from nowhere had already thrown themselves into the fires of war to protect the innocent of this galaxy. As the Clone Wars dragged on, she found herself agreeing less and less with the Jedi, and more with the Coalition. After all, they _had_ brought lasting peace to their Galaxy.

"This sector of the city is clear, all survivors have been recovered." A Promethean Lifeworker, taking the vague appearance of what Kat had described as "Warden Eternal", explained. The goliath of Forerunner Alloy stood up from the rubble of a destroyed building, a teenage girl held gently in his metallic arms. "Lifeworkers across the planet report similar levels of success."

"Good." Alice sighed, standing up and linking with _In Spirit of Fire_. "Admiral Cutter, SPARTAN Alice. Sector November-1 has been cleared, awaiting transports to the ship."

"Copy that, SPARTAN." Cutter answered, his voice coming over the entirety of Gamma's comms network. "Pelicans are en-route to bring survivors aboard for medical care. You four, along with the Jedi, are needed aboard. Lord of Admirals Lasky needs to speak with you."

"Understood, sir." Alice answered. "Gamma out." She turned to call out to the Jedi. "Transports are on the way, we're heading back to the ship!"

"Are we done here?" Ahsoka asked, confused. She had thought that they would be spending more than two days on Shili.

"The Marines and Lifeworkers can handle this from here." Alice answered. "Lord Lasky needs to speak with us."

XXXXX

"You mean to tell me that this slaver empire is allied with the Separatists?" Lasky asked, his holographic form looking down at an invisible computer terminal. He gently shook his metallic head, hoping to clear the buzz that the transfer of his consciousness through the Domain had left in its wake.

"That's right." Cutter nodded. "The drive signatures of the fleeing vessels were a near-perfect match. Our current estimates suggest that they've taken around two thousand Togrutans from Shili."

"Disgusting…" Lasky's face twisted into a sneer.

Cutter glanced over his shoulder as Fireteam Gamma, Obi-Wan, Anakin, and Ahsoka stepped into the conference room. "Lord of Admirals." Alice saluted, quickly being waved off by Lasky.

"At ease, SPARTANs." Lasky stated. "Vice-Admiral, I think you should be the one to deliver the news."

Cutter nodded, launching into his explanation. "Miss Tano… we believe we've discovered the location of your parents."

Ahsoka's eyes widened as Cutter's words hit her. "What? Seriously?"

"Yes… we believe that they're alive." Cutter nodded, his tone grim and solemn. "However… there has been a complication." Cutter swiped a hand across the surface of the conference table, bringing up a projection of Shili, depicting the faint hyperspace trails of the arriving Separatist fleet… along with a few newer drive signatures that jumped away from the system. "The Lifeworkers have confirmed the identities of the deceased and the survivors on Shili, and your family was not among the dead."

Cutter strode over to the two-dozen faint hyperspace signatures that jumped on a seemingly random vector away from Shili. The twenty four trails highlighted in gold as he touched the Hard Light projection. "These signatures match Zygerrian design… we believe that your parents were taken off-world on one of these vessels."

Instantly, Ahsoka went from elated to terrified. The thought of her parents being taken by Zygerrian slavers sent her heart plummeting into her gut. "D-Do you know where those ships jumped to?" Ahsoka asked, her voice breaking for a moment.

"We do not…" Cutter admitted. "They all jumped on a random vector, differing among the vessels, likely to avoid tracking."

Gamma's Neural Lances immediately updated them with all available information on the Zygerrians, and the four SPARTANs looked about ready to explode. Obi-Wan and Anakin seemed far more controlled, but a slight flicker of… something could be seen behind Anakin's eyes. "Hyperspace travel to Zygerria has increased by over six hundred percent since the beginning of the Clone Wars." Lasky spoke up, swiping away at the invisible computer. "Despite the Jedi crippling their slave empire centuries ago, it seems that the Zygerrians are attempting to regain power. I'm sure you all know what protocol dictates?"

"Hammer-Down." The SPARTANs all echoed, nodding. Their voices were a… practiced calm. Ahsoka could tell that the SPARTANs were enraged by the existence of a slave empire, it was all in their body language. Their clenched fists, their tight jaws, that deathly glare in their eyes.

"Hammer… Down?" Obi-Wan asked, confused.

"This protocol is classified, even to the Republic." Lasky immediately responded. "All I am able to share with you is that the Hammer-Down Protocol is rarely used, and reserved for species that are… unfit to be spacefaring."

"You mean genocide?" Obi-Wan asked, concern heavy in his voice.

"Absolutely not." Lasky defended. "As I've said, the Protocol's exact details are classified. All you need to know is that no undue harm will be caused to the existence of this species." Lasky turned back to Gamma. "I'm re-assigning your fireteam to OMI for the time being. Your mission will be the crippling of the Zygerrian Empire and the emancipation of their slaves."

"OMI's handling an invasion, sir?" Alice asked, confused by their reassignment to the Office.

"No… this will begin as an infiltration operation." Lasky explained. "I need the location of these Togrutans found, as well as their primary slave… processing facilities."

"I'm coming with you!" Ahsoka declared.

"Ahsoka!" Anakin attempted to restrain his Padawan while in the presence of a GC High Command official, but Lasky merely chuckled in response.

"I expected a response like that…" Lasky smirked, looking to the Jedi. "I want you three joining Gamma on Zygerria. I'll clear this with Republic Command and the Jedi Council. The _GCSS Per Aspera ad Astra_ will transport you to Coruscant. I'll keep you updated."

XXXXX

"I _really_ fucking hate this idea." Kathryn muttered, fiddling with the GC-manufactured mockup of Mandalorian battle armor. The metallic plates felt heavy and foreign to the SPARTAN that was used to suspended power armor. She was sat in the back of a transport freighter, along with the rest of Fireteam Gamma, dressed in similar armor. Obi-Wan and Anakin were quietly discussing details with Ahsoka, all of them dressed in Zygerrian Battle Armor. All of them except Ahsoka. Ahsoka was dressed in a bright turquoise top and long skirt. The cut of the top left her midsection exposed, only partially blocked by the dangling golden harem jewelry. At least… that's what Kathryn assumed the jewelry to be. Ahsoka obviously looked uncomfortable, only having paper-thin cloth to provide her with decency, and the mere sight of it made Kathryn sick to her stomach.

"I don't like it any more than you do." Delta-62 piped up from nearby. Kathryn glanced over to the Clone Commando, who was working to attach a GC Active Camouflage module to his armor. "Damn Seppies. Leave it to them to ally with slavers. I thought I'd seen everything they had to offer after that incident on the _Prosecutor._ "

Kathryn was rather surprised when she learned that the legendary Delta Squad would be joining them on this operation. From what she had heard, these Commandos rivaled even the old SPARTAN-IVs in combat prowess. Naturally, they were nowhere near a SPARTAN-V, but they were certainly impressive. She was surprised by the amount of independent thought these clones were capable of, surpassing their "brothers" in every way when it came to personality.

"Trando or Zygerrian, doesn't matter to me…" Delta-07 shrugged, attaching his sniper module to his rifle. "Gotta say…" He looked over to Kathryn, his blue visor shrouding his actual appearance from the SPARTAN, not that she didn't already know what he roughly looked like. "I owe you SPARTANs for Kashyyyk."

"Yeah, kept Sev's dumb ass from getting blasted on that AA gun." Scorch chuckled. "Hope that little blast on Felucia didn't rattle you too hard, Sev. We need your aim sharp for this one."

"Ha!" Sev chuckled. "Slaver queen won't know what hit her."

"Can it, Delta." Boss shouted out, walking over to secure the last retention bolt into Sev's active camo unit. "We touch down on Zygerria in two."

"Alright." Alice declared, standing upright. "Comms check." As everyone reported in, she gave a curt nod. "Excellent. Delta Squad, you're on recon. We'll keep you posted as we go."

"Copy." Delta Lead nodded, experimentally activating and deactivating his active camouflage module.

"Kat, you're with Skywalker and Ahsoka." Alice continued. "Gamma, the rest of us are with Kenobi."

As the transport touched down on Zygerria, rumbling as the landing gear made contact with the metallic landing pad, the four Clone Commandos activated their active camo, and the SPARTANs grabbed their blaster rifles, completing their disguise as Mandalorian mercenaries. Ahsoka pulled a thin veil over her body, revealing only her ankles and her eyes. Kathryn felt her grip tighten on the Mandalorian blaster rifle. She had to make the conscious effort to not crush the weak metals and plastics that formed the weapon's chassis.

XXXXX

"My mother was sold in a market _just_ like this one…" Anakin commented under his breath as he, Ahsoka, and Kathryn walked through the slave markets of Zygerria. People of all races, excluding Zygerrian of course, were bound in chains. Kathryn's blood ran red with rage as she looked around, the only thing keeping her from tearing through the nearest slaver being her grip on the rifle in her hands. She wanted nothing more than to reduce this worthless rock to dust, but kept herself grounded. _"One… two… three… four… inhale."_ She thought, fighting back the desire to raise the rifle in her hands.

The next half-hour was practically a blur to the enraged SPARTAN. They had avoided a near-confrontation with a Zygerrian, only to be summoned to the Zygerrian Queen's palace by a droid. After their long walk through the streets of the city, escorted by evidently jumpy Zygerrian guards, she found herself walking into the Queen's throne room.

"Make certain all preparations are complete for this evening." The queen demanded of her Prime Minister, who gave a short bow. As she glanced up to see a Human in Zygerrian armor, a Mandalorian, an astromech droid, and a veiled slave girl, she looked to a Twi'lek slave. "And fetch refreshments."

"My Queen, I present… Lars Quell, and his Mandalorian companion." The Prime Minister gestured to Anakin and Kathryn.

The Queen smirked, looking down at the pair from her throne. "So… you're the man who claims to be acquainted with Bruno Denturi?"

"Yes, your highness." Anakin removed his helmet, carrying it in the crook of his arm. "But when I spoke with him, he failed to mention your beauty. Well… before I struck him down."

"Really?" The Queen asked, suddenly interested in Anakin.

"Here is a slave from his palace… compensation for my efforts." Anakin gestured to the veiled Ahsoka, pulling the cloth veil off.

"Let me go!" Ahsoka shouted, quickly recovering from the slightly stumble that the yank of the veil had put her into.

"You impress me, Lars." The Queen noted, standing upright. As she did, the Prime Minister and all of the slaves in the Throne Room kneeled down. Anakin pushed Ahsoka down as well, and Kathryn barely contained the enraged growl in her throat. She strode down the stairs as everyone stood again. "You must be quite the warrior."

"I did have some help." Anakin nodded to Kathryn, who seemed to be watching the exchange indifferently from behind her helmet.

"Mandalorian… a fine warrior." The Queen gave Kathryn a small smile as she glanced over, only further enraging the SPARTAN. "Tell me… what is your name?"

"Mira Ordo." Kathryn answered.

"Clan Ordo… a well renown clan of powerful warriors." The Queen's smile widened. "This is fitting work for you. Did you take a trophy from Denturi's palace?"

"No." Kathryn answered, her voice practiced and stern. "The pay's more than enough."

"Hmm… a shame." The Queen shrugged, looking to Ahsoka's barely-covered body with a clinical eye. "This slave is certainly of fine stock. Bruno always did know how to choose a beautiful female."

Kathryn's teeth ground down as she saw the Zygerrian run a hand along Ahsoka's back, causing her to flinch back, pushing her hand away. "Don't you _dare_ touch me!" She declared.

"She requires further processing…" The Queen commented, narrowing her eyes at Ahsoka. "Her demeanor leave much to be desired." After a moment of thought, she looked to Anakin with a smile. "What is your price for her?"

"With respect… how could I put a price on this slave when I am in the presence of such beauty?" Anakin asked of the Queen.

The Queen gave a light giggle. "Lars… you flatter me." She nodded towards a balcony overlooking the city. "Come, walk with me. Perhaps we can find a way to put a price on your slave."

"Of course, your highness." Anakin followed alongside the Queen, Kathryn and Ahsoka a few steps behind. Kathryn stood close to Ahsoka, making a silent promise to herself that if the Queen laid another hand on her, she'd find herself missing that hand.

"I am surprised, Mira." The Queen noted, dragging Kathryn back into the situation at hand. "Slavery is the natural order of things."

"Meaning?" Kathryn asked, stopping to overlook the city. She couldn't deny, the city was a stunning sight. She couldn't shake the knowledge that it was likely built by all hands other than Zygerrian, however.

"The weak deserve nothing more than to kneel before the strong, bound to our service." The Queen explained. "The Mandalorians are quite strong… we could use people like you to help spread our ways across the galaxy."

"And what happens when someone stronger than you comes along?" Kathryn asked, looking to the Queen from behind her visor. Kathryn suddenly felt all eyes around her turn to lock onto her. "Will you kneel before them?"

Surprisingly, the Queen laughed. "That has yet to happen, and there are few in the galaxy who have the stomach to do what we do."

"I wouldn't be so sure." Kathryn said. "Arrogance has put a lot of rulers in the ground before."

"Well, perhaps I can change your opinion." The Queen noted. "I would like you and Lars to accompany me to the slave auction this evening as my personal guests."

"We would be elated, your highness." Anakin answered, smiling.

XXXXX

Kathryn glared out of the window, down to the surface of the Arena from which slaves would be auctioned off to Zygerrians and off-worlders alike. The mere sight of so many cheering on such a practice made her sick to her stomach. The knowledge that the Hammer-Down Protocol would be launched soon gave her solace, however.

Behind her, Ahsoka stood next to the Queen's chair, shock collar around her neck. Anakin stood off to her right, watching the auction floor with an indifferent look on his face. As Kathryn glanced over to R2D2, she could see that he was preparing to return Anakin's lightsaber.

 _"_ _Kat, this couldn't have gone better."_ Alice came over her Neural Lance. _"Delta's in position on the walls of the Arena, Gamma's in position in the crowd, and Kenobi's in the rafters. Sev's got sight lines on the Queen."_

 _"_ _Negative on the shot."_ Kathryn answered. _"Booth is shielded."_

 _"_ _Are you sure?"_ Sev asked.

 _"_ _Slight shimmering on the outside of the glass."_ Kathryn affirmed.

 _"_ _Damn…"_ Sev commented. _"Shifting target down to the auctioneer_. _"_

 _"_ _Kat, when you get the location of the Torgrutans, take her down_. _"_ Alice ordered. _"In Spirit of Fire is waiting on our signal to exit the slipstream."_

 _"_ _Copy."_ Kathryn acknowledged. Right on cue, the auctioneer shouted out, his voice carried through the cheering crowd over loudspeaker.

"The auction begins with slaves of unmatched quality, and unreal quantity! I give you… Togruta, from the Shili System!" As he shouted out, the aging alien was shoved out of a tunnel and into the blinding sun of the arid world. The crowd went wild with cheers as he was ushered towards the stand. "This one represents a lot numbering at ten thousand! Notice the compliance! There will be no rebellion here!"

"So…" Anakin began. "Where do you keep ten thousand slaves?"

"On Kadavo, of course." The queen stated as if it were the simplest fact in the world.

Anakin and Kathryn quickly exchanged glances, and Kathryn smirked beneath her helmet. "Good… that's all we needed to know." Kathryn allowed a predatory tone to slip into her voice. An instant later, she wheeled around and fired her blaster at the two Zygerrians guarding the exit. Anakin's lightsaber was launched from atop R2D2's chassis, and he quickly pulled it into his hand with the Force, igniting it. Ahsoka caught her own lightsabers as they were launched from the astromech droid, cutting the shock collar off her neck.

"Cover the door." Kathryn ordered. _"Go!"_ She declared over the BattleNet. As Kathryn wheeled around to level her rifle at the Zygerrian queen, causing her to take a defensive step back towards the window, a shot rang out from atop the walls of the Arena. Instantly, the precision blaster bolt speared through the auctioneer's head, causing him to fall over in a heap. Three more shots speared towards Zygerrian guards throughout the arena, and a lightsaber ignited in the rafters as Obi-Wan set to work on the guards there. Gamma stood up from their positions in the crowd, firing their Mandalorian-pattern blaster rifles at any armed hostiles.

Simultaneously, forty Slipspace ruptures sounded off above Zygerria, a full Coalition Battlegroup jumping into the system. The fleet, comprised entirely of capital ships, made quick work of the unprepared Zygerrian orbital defenses, as well as the small Separatist fleet in orbit. Up above, even in broad daylight, the explosions of destroyed starships could be seen. "On your knees, hands on the back of your head!" Kathryn shouted, letting the rage that had been building up over the past seven hours bubble to the surface.

"Do you really think killing me will make a difference?!" The Queen shouted, standing defiant. "Kill me or spare me, my guards will kill all of you!"

"I wouldn't be so sure." Ahsoka chuckled, looking out of the shielded window to the sight before the entire city.

Above the city, two massive Slipspace ruptures opened up, allowing the vessels they brought with them to emerge from the depths of the void. From the two rifts, a pair of Infinity-Class Super-Dreadnoughts emerged, the _In Spirit of Fire_ , commanded by Admiral Cutter, and _Infinity_ , commanded by Lord of Admirals Lasky.

As the two massive vessels emerged, weapons and shields already powered, their rifts closed. The closing Slipspace rifts sent out a thundering thrumming noise as they shut, the dimensional tear mending in its wake. As the two vessels began engaging the ground-side defenses of the city, a signal from _Infinity_ overrode the airwaves of Zygerria. Admiral Lasky's combat form took the place of any image on any electronic screen across the planet, his voice carried to radios, view screens, and all manner of broadcasts. The Queen stared intently at the image of the Promethean form, her heart dropping into her chest as she turned and saw the two massive super-capital ships bombarding the defenses of her world before they even had time to acquire them on sensors.

"People of Zygerria, and all… guests from foreign worlds." Lasky began, his slightly modulated voice stern and verifiably enraged. "This is Lord of Admirals Thomas Lasky of the Galactic Coalition, speaking on behalf of the sentient life that you have enslaved. Your Empire… and your ways… end now." As Lasky's address finished, his image disappeared. Above, _Infinity_ unleased a pulse not unlike that of a Guardian, shutting down all electronics on the surface of Zygerria. While GC tech was shielded from this, the blasters that the guards carried, the view screens that he previously occupied, and the speeders of Zygerria's surface, were not.

Kathryn smirked as her blaster powered down. She tossed the primitive instrument aside, activating the quick-release on her armor. In sync with the falling plates of the Mandalorian armor, her MJOLNIR took its place. The plates neatly arranged themselves over her body, and a Light Rifle fell into her hands, which she quickly leveled against the Zygerrian Queen.

"Appreciate the warning, Kat." Ahsoka snarked, gesturing with her deactivated and inert lightsaber.

Kathryn gave a smirk as she tossed the Mandalorian helmet aside, her MJOLNIR helmet quickly taking its place. Suddenly, six Promethean Soldiers dropped from Slipspace rifts in the room, all of their weapons leveled against the Zygerrian Queen along with the SPARTAN's. "Kneel." Kathryn ordered, drawing looks from Ahsoka and Anakin. "Soldiers, cover the door."

"Understood, SPARTAN." The Prometheans obeyed, moving to cover the only entrance to the booth.

Obediently, the Zygerrian woman fell to her knees, looking up at the towering SPARTAN. "Such a fitting end for a slaver queen…" Kathryn mused, walking towards the Queen. She brought her knee up, striking the Queen in the chin and sending her back. As the Queen lay on the ground, Kathryn planted an armored boot on her neck, cutting off her airway. Kathryn felt the Queen scrambling to remove the SPARTAN's boot from her throat, and simply pressed down a bit harder in return. "Just like everyone you've ever shackled and bound… you die on your knees." She raised her rifle, a single bolt of Hard Light spearing through her head and splattering her brains on the floor.

Kathryn glanced up to the window, removing her foot from the Queen's throat. She saw thousands of Prometheans emerging from their Slipspace portals, subduing the population of the Arena. Across Zygerria, millions of Prometheans were emerging. They would free those shackled and bound on this world, and when they did… then the Protocol would be carried out.

XXXXX

"Lord of Admirals, the First through Fourth fleets report missions success across Zygerrian space." _Infinity_ 's AI declared, catching the ancient admiral's attention.

"And the slaves?" Lasky asked.

"The vessels transporting the slaves are awaiting your word, sir."

"Begin transporting them to Respite, notify the Shield World's defenses of their impending arrival."

"As you command, Admiral." The AI answered, its formless hologram fizzling out.

"Comms, send the Mission Complete burst back to the Ark!" Lasky declared, earning a cheer from the bridge crew. "Bring the hammer down."

"Deploying Constructor Drones, Admiral." Weapons Station announced. "Lifeworkers are reporting that the Zygerrian strain of the regression virus has been completed, and is awaiting the deconstruction of Zygerria for deployment. ETA: twenty four hours."

Lasky gave a satisfied smirk as he watched the swarm of millions of Constructors bear down on Zygerria's surface. They would strip the cities, towns, technology, everything artificial on this world down to nothingness. The Zygerrians would be reduced to Tier-7, and given a chance to rebuild… under the close watch of the Coalition. Over the millennia it would take for them to regain spaceflight, they would pay their debt to the galaxy.

XXXXX

Ahsoka watched in bewilderment as millions of small drones departed their gargantuan motherships, bearing down on the surface of Zygerria as the refugee ships departed. The refugee ships carried slaves, non-Zygerrians, and pieces of technology deemed too important to destroy by the Galactic Coalition. Ahsoka had never seen something on this scale. The GC had reduced the defense fleet of a planet to ash, completely dismantled their government, and shut them down technologically. It was, without a doubt, the most awe-inspiring sight she had ever laid eyes on.

"Couldn't have hardened our blasters to that pulse thing?" Fixer asked, fiddling with the power core to his DC-17 to no avail. His blaster was completely inert.

"Not without handing you a GC rifle, Delta." Alice answered, watching the surface of Zygerria fade away as the Pelican slipped into the hanger of _In Spirit of Fire_. "Engineers can fix it up for you. Same with your lightsabers." She nodded to the three Jedi.

"What are those little droids doing?" Ahsoka asked, gesturing to the planet below.

"Classified." Alice answered without missing a beat. "The Zygerrians won't be enslaving anyone for the foreseeable future, however."

"What about the slaves?" Anakin asked, concerned.

"They'll be brought to a GC Forward Operations Base for medical treatment before being transported back to their homeworlds." Alice explained. "We'll be taking a… short detour before returning to the front, though."

"Where are we going?" Obi-Wan asked.

"To that same FOB." Alice responded. She turned to Ahsoka, a small smile on her face.

XXXXX

To say that Haywood was displeased with this plan would perhaps be the greatest understatement of his career. He carried the neural patterns of his XO in his pocket, strolling into one of the pro-tem GC Embassy's many network databanks that were linked directly with Coruscant's own. He didn't like the idea of plugging a close friend into the network of an alien government, not just for the sake of good relations with the Republic, but for her safety. Mostly her safety, the more he thought about it.

From what he had seen, this Republic was broken… rotten to its very core. It made no attempt to fight back the slaver empire on its border, no attempts to bring about a negotiated peace, and showed no desire to allow the GC to simply stomp out the enemy. Relations had already soured after the GC had taken both Raxus and Zygerria into its own hands, with many Senators voicing their distrust of the Coalition. To be fair, they were right to distrust them, the leadership of the GC looked down upon the Republic as a Human would an insect. Such potential, such possibility, all squandered in pointless Senate hearings to prolong and escalate a conflict.

"Are you sure you're up to this, Aphrodite?" Haywood asked of his Neural Lance, connecting with Aphrodite's storage drive that he carried in his pocket. "I'm sure Lasky can find another AI to handle this."

"I will be fine, Captain." Aphrodite assured him, her voice the image of calm. If she was at all intimidated by the concept of sifting through an entire government's inner workings, she sure didn't show it. "The artificial intelligence of this galaxy is millennia behind our own. I'll be amazed if they even _suspect_ me."

"So long as I've got you back on the Prowler soon…" Haywood muttered.

"Joshua… I promise, I will be fine." Aphrodite assured again. "Plug me in." She asked as Haywood came to a stop before the largest network hub in the building.

With a hefty sigh, Haywood slid Aphrodite's storage drive into the appropriate slot. He watched the green light on the drive shift to yellow, signifying her completed transfer to the network. "Good luck…" He offered, removing the drive once the transfer was complete.

 **A/N:**

 **I wanted to get this out before I released what might be my longest chapter yet for another story, and I couldn't help myself. Expect further updates for my other stuff relatively soon (tm).**

 **As always, I love all of the reviews you guys left, but I figured I should address a few of them.**

 **Doombuilder: Grevious will be making an appearance soon (tm). Don't worry.**

 **Trife: I'll admit, no idea why I didn't simply say "Combat Medic". Would've made it easier on me. As for why the SPARTANs aren't wearing the helmets due to the two points you brought up, being potentially hostile first contact and biohazards, I'll address the former first.**

 **Put simply, from the perspective of an outside observer making contact with the GC, what would look more threatening? Four seven-foot tall suits of armor armed to the teeth, or the same suits of armor, but lacking the helmets, showing that they're Human. It was a conscious decision, meant to make first contact go a bit smoother due to the familiarity. The "Assume Hostility" doctrine of the UNSC has faded with the passage of time, and the GC's first contact protocol is "Assume Passivity".**

 **As for the biohazards, the Prowler had scanned the entire system. They knew every potential hazard on the planet before the drop pods even hit the surface. If there were significant threats on a biological level, they would have been ordered to keep their helmets on.**

 **Overfic23: Well, it wouldn't exactly make much sense for the 5** **th** **Generation of the SPARTAN program to be less-effective than the millennia-old (by this point) SPARTAN-II program, now would it? Especially with all of the comparatively hyper-advanced technology that they now have access to. That's essentially like saying the men that stormed the beaches of Normandy are superior to the average modern U.S. Army Infantryman based solely on their historical achievements. In every quantifiable way, the modern U.S. Infantryman is superior to the infantry of 1944, nobody calls them superior because of their achievements. They just acknowledge the achievement in the context of the time period.**

 **Everyone that I didn't answer directly, because there's so damn many: I really appreciate all of the love, guys. Thanks for sticking with me. I love all of the reviews I get, so keep 'em coming. I've started doing these responses to questions or reviews at the end of chapters in my other fics, so I figured I'd carry it over to this one, too, so long as nobody has any issues with it.**

 **As Always,**

 **-TallYapflip**

 **P.S. Sorry if this one's pace seems all over the place. I couldn't bring myself to split this into two separate arcs. Right about here is where shit gets REAL AU, REAL fast.**


	18. Chapter 17: Shielded

**Chapter 17: Shielded**

"W-what is that?!" Ahsoka asked as _In Spirit of Fire_ dropped from the slipstream near the edge of Andromeda, several thousand light years above the galactic plane. The lifelike depiction of the hull-mounted sensors of the dreadnought depicted one of the Coalition's megastructure marvels, Respite. The massive shield world, constructed from the enriched elements taken from the many lifeless systems beyond the galactic rim, was gargantuan in its construction, measuring at just under ten thousand kilometers in diameter. The outer shell looked to be Forerunner Alloy, hardened to withstand potential asteroid impacts or possible attack. A GC fleet of similarly massive size guarded it, numbering at over a hundred capital-class vessels and an escort fleet of two hundred cutters and light cruisers.

"Respite." Kathryn answered. "Or Shield World 001A."

"A Shield World?" Ahsoka asked in wonder as the vessel neared the gargantuan micro-dyson sphere. Her questions were somewhat answered as a circular pattern on the outer shell of the object slid open, providing just enough space for the Infinity-Class Dreadnought to slip through. On the other end stood a monument to engineering the likes of which she had never seen. In the center of the sphere, an artificial star was suspended and contained by Constraint Field Generators scattered around the internal surface of the world. The inner surface of the massive construct was lush with green forests, tropical jungles, sandy beaches, and rolling hills. Some evidence of civilization on its surface was the only proof that this construct was indeed inhabited. "It's… It's like a paradise…"

"A fitting description." Kathryn smirked. "This one was built to mirror Earth. A few more are planned to undergo construction soon, each mirroring the homeworld of a GC species."

"You're building more?!" Ahsoka stood slack-jawed at how casually Kat had described the Shield World. She acted like this was just a regular planet, no different from any other, but they had _built_ it. "How long does that take?"

"Well, this one took a few months." Kathryn shrugged.

"A few _months_?" Ahsoka declared her question, seeing the massive dreadnought starting to head towards one of the larger city-like constructs on the surface. "How big is it?"

"Nine thousand eight hundred and sixty four kilometers in diameter." Cutter answered simply, walking from his quarters and onto the bridge. "Currently houses a population of two million GC citizens, and four million recovered slaves and refugees from Zygerrian space."

"And word is that this one's gonna have a population of around eight billion by the time it's fully occupied." Cole smirked, his hard light form shimmering into existence beside the Admiral. Seeing that Ahsoka was somewhat startled by his sudden appearance, he quickly moved to correct himself. "Sorry, where are my manners?" He gave an apologetic smile. "Captain Preston Cole, Executive Officer of the _GCSS In Spirit of Fire_." He extended his hand to Ahsoka, who was visibly surprised to find that she could _feel_ his hand just as if it were any normal Human's.

"A pleasure to meet you, sir." Ahsoka smiled, quickly recovering from her startled state.

"Ready to head down?" He looked to Kathryn, who nodded in return. "Good, there's two Pelicans waiting for us in the hangar."

XXXXX

Ahsoka looked around the groundside city of Respite, the city sharing a name with the world is sat upon. While it was remarkably similar to the Central Decks of the _Infinity_ , something that _In Spirit of Fire_ sorely lacked due to its designation as a Warship instead of a Scientific Vessel, it was also starkly different. The city seemed to blend seamlessly with the flora around it. Trees dotted the alleys between buildings, vines ran the length of buildings, and the green grass seemed to completely overtake the ground, only broken up by the walkways. Up above, what Ahsoka could only describe as GC Speeders flew by, carrying people and cargo around the relatively small city.

"Right when I thought you had thoroughly impressed me…" Anakin mused, looking up and seeing the distant continent directly above him, barely visible through the light cloud layer.

"Is that the refugee camp?" Ahsoka asked, spotting the pre-fabricated structures assembled in a large grid on the edge of the city.

"Yeah." Kathryn nodded. "Medical Technicians are working on getting all of the emancipated slaves back to perfect health before we ship them home."

"Any word from the Senate?" Jane glanced over to Cutter and Alice, who were quietly discussing things near the back of the group.

"Senate's just entering into a hearing about the GC's mobilization now." Cutter explained, looking up from the hard light projection emanating from his wrist.

"Oh boy…" Willow muttered. "Marshall 'Vadam is going to have a _busy_ day."

"Speaking of which…" Ahsoka began, looking to Kat. "I've been reading a bit about your history… what your officers let me, at least. How did you wind up allied with the species that tried to exterminate you?"

Kathryn sighed. "It's a long story. It took a century and a half of near-constant war to finally have true peace in our galaxy. First it was the Covenant, then the Covenant Storm, then the Remnants, The Banished, the Guardians, then the Jiralhane. After the Guardians… we all realized just how dependent we were on each other for survival."

"Even before that, though, there were Sangheili that fought alongside you…" Ahsoka though aloud.

"The Sangheili were deceived for thousands of years… that deception cost billions of lives. After seeing what that war had done, our uneasy alliance became a brotherhood."

"What do you mean?"

"A Kaidon, or Keep Elder, of House 'Vadam explained it best. On the 'Vadam Saga Wall, there's a passage about the UNSC and Swords of Sangheilios fighting side-by-side against the Jiralhane. It's become so legendary that just about every Sangheili can recite it word-for-word."

"What does it say?" Ahsoka asked.

"'Our brotherhood is etched in stone. This unbeaten path we walk is never alone. And through the trails of terror there is no obstacle we will fear, because we are unbroken. I would die for you, and you would give your life for me. The very sense of being… free. Can we revisit the times of past as if I wish they would never fade, and always last? For no demon, real or in mind, could ever challenge the courage of brotherhood tested in time. So may we walk in the memory of those who forever hold the burden of our freedoms. And I promise to never let your memory die, for I am free in it, and you are always with me… and never forgotten.'" Kathryn effortlessly recited the Saga Wall's words.

Ahsoka felt the weight of that passage slam down on her. She knew so little about the Coalition's history, so little about their culture, but that simple passage spoke wonders. "H-How long after your Great War was this written?"

"About a century after…" Kathryn explained, having now fallen quite far behind the rest of the group that was heading for the transport back to _In Spirit of Fire_. "The Kaidon wrote it personally after fighting alongside SPARTAN-IVs and Marines on Doisac, the Jiralhane homeworld. It was the first piece of Sangheili writing that was placed alongside the Living Monument on Earth." Kathryn smiled. "He even recited it at a memorial service for the UNSC soldiers that died on Doisac. People say that the Sangheili and Humanity became brothers at the start of the Jiralhane War… but we _truly_ became brothers when the Kaidon stood in front of twenty billion Humans and said what he did."

XXXXX

"This is an _outrage_!" The Kaminoan Senator shouted, glaring down Aiter, who remained steadfast. "You have violated the very treaty that you proposed! You've devolved a Species!"

"And your Republic has shown itself to be incapable of dealing with a minor nuisance." Aiter answered without missing a beat. Even with the heavy scarring on his face and arms from the bombing, he moved with grace and fluidity as he spoke. "I understand that this war has been profitable for you, yes? Especially now with the recent order for five million more Clones. Why would you want this suffering to end? Especially as the blood of innocents greases the wheels of your immoral war machine."

"As for the recent… regression of the Zygerrians, it is a fitting end for their kind: to be given a new beginning with one more chance to prosper _without_ the forced labor of slavery to build their civilization for them."

"You have seen fit to completely ignore the requests of this Republic!" The Nemoidian Senator shouted. "What you've done is an act of war!"

"This is not a threat you wish to make against me." Aiter growled. "Standing here listening to your barbarity is an atrocity unto itself, Nemoidian."

"You dare speak of atrocities?!" The Nemoidian shouted. "This senate is well aware of your people's actions in your so-called 'Human-Covenant War'… barbarity seems to be in your blood."

 _That_ made Aiter's blood boil. "You should not speak on matters you know nothing about. The Dark Time was horrid, yes, but that is a thousand years past. Despite the war against Humanity all those centuries ago, our brotherhood is etched in stone."

"Lecture the Senate all you like, Sangheili, your kind has committed atrocities never before seen on Raxus and Zygerria." Kamino's senator barked.

"Ambassador, Senators, please…" Palpatine raised his hands, calming the Senate chambers. "Attacks against individual species will get us nowhere. There is a far more pressing matter to discuss. As the Kaminoan Senator so eloquently stated…" Palpatine began with a hint of sarcasm. "The Galactic Coalition has indeed violated the Treaty of Coruscant, but for good reason. The war's end draws ever closer as a result of their actions. If anything, they should be thanked."

"If it is any consolation to this Senate, once the Clone Wars come to an end, the Coalition will be withdrawing its combat forces back to the Milky Way." Aiter added.

"And with any luck, that will be soon." Palpatine nodded.

XXXXX

"I can't believe it…" Ahsoka mused, walking back towards the city of Respite, having just met her parents for the first time in over a decade. "They… they're alive."

"And well, all things considered." Kathryn smiled down to Ahsoka. "They'll have a safe and secure home to return to in a matter of weeks."

"Did you send more of those Constructor Drones to Shili?" Ahsoka asked, walking through the densely metallic streets of Respite, occasionally catching a glimpse of a Constructor or a Huragok Engineer building structures and roads.

Kathryn nodded. "And more Lifeworkers. We can't heal _all_ of the scars, especially the mental ones, but the planet will be made whole again."

"Wow…" Ahsoka sighed, looking around. "Now I _really_ want to see Earth."

"Once the war's over, I think that can be arranged." Kathryn smiled. "Now c'mon, we've got some preparations before we're sent on our next mission."

"Any word on what it is?" Ahsoka asked, looking to the towering SPARTAN.

"We're being sent to Onderon to assist in an insurgency against the CIS." Kathryn answered. "Onderon's a densely-populated world, so we won't have much in the way of support. We need to break the Separatist hold on the planet and free their deposed king. With any luck, that should spark enough mass unrest to force a Separatist withdrawal."

"How are we getting planetside?" Ahsoka asked.

"We're being reassigned to the Stealth Prowler that we originally arrived in Andromeda on." Kathryn explained. " _In Spirit of Fire_ can't exactly sneak past a planetary blockade."

"Who's going on this mission?"

"I know the Council wanted us to go, and Captain Haywood is bringing a platoon of ODSTs, a platoon of Promethean Soldiers, and two Force Recon Sniper teams."

"Wait…" Ahsoka began, suddenly remembering something. "I thought you said Prowlers weren't meant to land on planets?"

"Never said we'd be landing in the Prowler." Kathryn smirked. "We're going feet-first."

XXXXX

"Are you sure this is safe?" Ahsoka asked, looking at the large Forerunner Alloy pod that would be dropping her through Onderon's atmosphere within a few minutes.

"It's a tactic that we've used for centuries." Kathryn assured her, doing a final equipment check. "If the average human can survive it, it shouldn't be a problem for a Jedi."

"Yeah, the average _genetically modified_ human." Ahsoka added.

"ODSTs in the UNSC didn't have anywhere near our level of biological augmentation." Alice called out from inside her own pod as she made a few adjustments to the sensors within.

"What does that even stand for?" Ahsoka asked. "UNSC, I mean."

"United Nations Space Command." Kathryn explained. "The scientific, military, and colonization arm of the Unified Earth Government. Technically, it still exists, but it's a part of the larger Galactic Coalition now. Think of it like a… planetary defense force that extends across what's considered 'human space' in the Milky Way."

"Still… can't say I'm too fond of this idea." Scorch piped up, attaching his DC-17 to the retention arm of the SOEIV pod.

"Ah, don't be such a baby." Willow called out from the other side of the bay. "You've got a drag chute and ventral thrusters. You're only hitting the ground at like… a hundred kilometers an hour."

"Not helping!" Scorch called out, earning a laugh from a few of the ODSTs that were gearing up near the back of the bay.

Everyone's attention was re-directed to the intercom system aboard the Prowler. They heard Captain Haywood's voice call out. "Ground team, we are one mike out. Load up and prepare to drop."

"You heard the man!" The ODST Lieutenant shouted, grabbing his Particle Lance and slotting a power cell into it. "Find your coffins and get set for a Combat Drop!"

"Coffins?" Scorch asked, concern heavy in his voice.

"Do not worry." One of the Sangheili Rangers said, pounding the side of Scorch's pod with his fist. "You will have solid ground under your feet in a few minutes."

Kathryn couldn't help but smirk as she heard Scorch gulp. Sometimes, hearing things like that was a bit strange, but other times it was funny.

XXXXX

Kathryn climbed out of her pod, happy to feel solid ground under her feet again. The drop had gone perfectly, and the ground team had all landed within a few meters of each other. The rest of Fireteam Gamma disembarked their pods with little issue, already very acclimated to the feeling of an orbital drop. Same went for the ODSTs. The Jedi seemed to have handled it… decently well. Obi-Wan and Anakin stumbled for a moment, but soon recovered. Ahsoka seemed a bit frazzled from the drop, but she was keeping herself anchored in the Force to steady herself. Delta Squad, on the other hand, was having a bit of a harder time.

Delta Lead almost fell out of his pod, dropping to one knee and taking a few heaving breaths before pulling himself to his feet. Sev seemed to handle it best, stumbling out of his pod and nearly tripping over his own feet. Fixer found himself leaning against the side of his pod, trying to steady himself. Scorch, by far, handled it the worst. Kathryn could tell quite clearly that the Clone Commando was on the verge of "Drop Sickness", something that was quite common for ODSTs in training. It was usually manifested in vertigo, vomiting, and in some severe cases unconsciousness. Luckily, Scorch managed to keep his meal down. "I see why you call them coffins, now." Scorch managed, taking a few deep breaths to steady himself.

"Builds character." The ODST Lieutenant offered, grabbing his Particle Lance from the internal rack on the pod. "Grab your gear, I'm leaving a little surprise for the Separatists."

XXXXX

"Looks like they fell for it." The Lieutenant chuckled, resting his rifle on his shoulder as he walked. The soft warbling of a Pulse Charge could be heard in the distance, triggered by a small squad of droids that had gone to investigate the impact point of the drop pods. "Dumber than a goddamn Brute."

"Almost an insult to those animals…" A Sangheili piped up, scanning the jungle.

"Gamma-Actual, this is Assassin-2." Ahsoka heard a quiet, scratchy voice in her ear. The comms unit that had been given to her for this op crackled as the Kig-Yar spoke. "We have eyes on a battalion of droids that are moving in on the rebels in the region. How should we proceed?"

"Do they have armored support?" Alice asked.

"Negative, jungle is too dense." The Jackal Sniper answered.

"Form a kill box with Assassin-1 at the mouth of the valley, hold fire until the droids are within range of the rebel stronghold."

"Acknowledged."

"Why aren't they attacking them now?" Scorch asked. "Shouldn't they be thinning them out for the rebels?"

"Four Kig-Yar snipers against a thousand droids?" Willow asked, looking over her shoulder. They were still five kilometers out from the rebel base, so they had quite some ground to cover. "Kig-Yar eyesight and GC Tech or not, those odds aren't good."

"Well, best get movin' then." Anakin smirked. "No sense in keeping the Separatists waiting."

 **A/N:**

 **Finally, I put this goddamn chapter out.**

 **Gonna skip the whole explanation, I really don't have an excuse.**

 **Review time:**

 **Shadow Walker of Fire: We'll see, I have plans within the next few chapters.**

 **Teck3: Don't worry, I'm not suicidal enough to keep the Empire out of this story. You'll be seeing the "End Game" here very soon (like within 2 or 3 chapters, depending on how lazy I get.)**

 **Guest: Probably not, I'm REAL FUCKING BAD at writing anything like that (ask any readers of my RWBY/Halo fic and they'll tell you just how shit I am at it).**

 **Helyanweh: Combustion ballistics to particle and hard light weaponry is a 20-year transition? We're talking about armor that can phase in and out of Slipspace instantly, organic to digital consciousness without the loss of sanity, and the re-building of the Domain.**

 **SPECIALGUY: The primary difference between Hyperspace and Slipspace travel is longevity. Hyperspace requires a supply of Hypermatter fuel, while Slipspace travel just requires sufficient energy to be dumped into the drive. Essentially, the Republic was amazed at the fact that an FTL method had been developed to allow intergalactic travel because intergalactic travel with Hyperspace technology would require an obscene amount of fuel. The only thing that prevented Slipspace-capable vessels of super long distance travel was the Causal Reconciliation, which the Forerunners solved with Probability Mirrors. In short: The speed of Slipspace didn't impress them, it was the distance you could cover with Slipspace.**

 **Hoangxuan2309/Halo Canon (Guest) [Are you the same person? Your questions are almost identical in their wording]: I don't believe I ever mentioned the GC being 1000 years ahead of the Forerunners technologically. If anything, they're on-par with the Forerunners.**

 **Secondly: While yes, GC Shielding and Armor is significantly more advanced than anything in the Star Wars galaxy, that does not make them invulnerable. It's the exact same concept that the UNSC used in the Human-Covenant War. Regardless of technological superiority, sufficient volume of fire focused on a single ship can still destroy it. Hell,** ** _Infinity_** **even put a hole through the** ** _Mantle's Approach_** **'s armor and shields with a single fucking shot. At that time, the UNSC was two full technological tiers below the Forerunners.**

 **As for the Chief, this was a conscious decision on my part. I've noticed something of a trend among stories that take place post-war (Either immediately post-war or far-flung from the Halo timeline we all know and love), and that's the fact that these stories tend to focus so much on the Chief that it's almost exhausting. I can get it if the Chief is still alive, but we're talking about a full millennia since the end of the war. I'm writing this story to distance it from the Human-Covenant War (Hence Humanity allying with all of the Covenant Races. Except the Brutes. Fuck the Brutes.). While, yes, Chief would be a near-deified figure at this point, we can look at our own history and see that most people today don't really know much about the war heroes of a thousand years ago. Sure, it's easier with digital record-keeping to remember people like the Chief and ensure that they aren't lost to time, but it's still been a thousand years. For the most part, the Galaxy's moved on.**

 **As always, thanks for the reviews and sticking with me on this. I promise I won't make you guys wait another five months for an update.**

 **-TallYapflip**


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